Soulmates always find a way
by megryan2189
Summary: Elena lets Bonnie preform the cure, but she wakes up a vampire, the cure freed her from the sire bond. Damon had left but now he's back. Stefan and Elena are not agreeing on much these days and they find Caroline is turning more to Klaus. Someone comes to town destined to wreck the Salvatore's and Elena. When all are forced to fight who will they lose, and can they save them?
1. Chapter 1

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. Not every chapter will have one but some might.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

_-Far from where you are-  
_**Damon's POV**

90. That's how many days I've been away from her. As I sit here in Barbados looking at the water I can't help but want to drown myself in it. I can't of course, vampires can't drown. I was done with Mystic Falls; it was a crap town anyway. Too small. I was done with my little brother; he could deal with the teen drama and the fallout of finding that magical cure. I, Damon Salvatore, was done. I was also lying. If I wasn't I'd say I was a coward. I ran away before she even woke up, before even giving her a chance to see if her feelings were real. Elena. I chugged down some more bourbon as I admitted to myself for the billionth time today that as long as she was alive somewhere I was never done. Hell, just to fill the silence I recited the song on my iPod I kept on replay, silently in my head.

_So far away from where you are  
These miles have torn us worlds apart  
And I miss you, yeah I miss you  
So far away from where you are  
I'm standing underneath the stars  
And I wish you were here  
I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things  
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me  
Yeah I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

"Damon." The voice please let it be in my head. Yet, as I opened my eyes and looked to my left, yep sure enough Jeremy Gilbert.

"If it isn't little Gilbert. You found me, don't know how but you did. Now, what do you want?"

"You weren't hard to find, at least to me. Elena is still going in circles and she won't listen to me. She's still looking for Damon Salvatore, I knew better. Damon Gilbert is who I've been keeping track of. Let's see you've been to Canada, Mexico, and now you're here, Barbados." Apparently he's smarter than I ever gave him credit for.

"Well Mr. Detective, how did you know I'd change my name and why would Elena be looking for me? She's supposed to be living out her human life with my holier than thou brother, Stefan." I swig some more bourbon. He better get to the point fast so I can shove him on a plane back home and get on with my skulking alone.

"Human? You think she's…wow okay. Matt! I think I'll need you anyway." I sat up and turned around in record speed only to see none other than Matt freaking Donovan walking up to me.

"Yes, human. I didn't stutter. What are you doing here Donovan? Need another bartending job?"

"Nah Damon. I needed to get away, Jeremy said he was bringing you back, I figured why not pay you a visit. It's about time I annoy you anyway."

"Get to the point. Elena is human now. Be happy she's not sired to me anymore." I returned to my lounging position and prepared to ignore them. I recited some more of that song in my head to drown out my own thoughts.

_I feel the beating of your heart  
I see the shadows of your face  
Just know that wherever you are  
Yeah I miss you  
And I wish you were here  
I miss the years that were erased  
I miss the way the sunshine would light up your face  
I miss all the little things  
I never thought that they'd mean everything to me  
Yeah I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

"She's not human Damon! My sister is still a vampire."

"Right and we didn't just find a cure for vampirism. Try again." Did I freaking hear him correctly?

"It didn't work, well it half worked. She's not sired to you but she's still a vampire. She loves you and she and Stefan are probably having war 2 right now. Before I left they had war 1."

My hearing must be going. I'm a vampire and I must be losing my hearing. Elena couldn't possibly still be a vampire and there's no way Stefan and Elena would fight bad enough to be called a war. "So, where do you coming to get me from Barbados fit in? I'm stronger than you and I'm not going back."

"Matt and I thought you'd say that so we knew we'd have to make you come back to believe us. See ya in a few hours Damon. Now, Matt."

"Gilbert, Donovan, I swear…" Pain. Vervain. Blackness. I felt the needle and the poison enter my veins. I knew I shouldn't have stopped drinking the stuff, who knew they'd vervain me. I couldn't help but feel a bit proud though, I taught Jeremy well. Surprise, the sure fire way to get a vampire down.

_So far away from where you are  
These miles have torn us worlds apart  
And I miss you, yeah I miss you  
And I wish you were here_

All I saw was black. I couldn't think about anything but what Jeremy had said.  
He knew I'd changed my name.  
He knew I still loved Elena.  
He'd been keeping track of me.  
Elena was a vampire.  
She was fighting with Stefan.  
She wasn't sired anymore.  
She loved me.  
Maybe, just maybe I didn't have to be so far away from her after all. Maybe I could be with her. For the first time in the last 90 days I let myself have hope, hope that I wouldn't have to live with a broken heart forever.


	2. Chapter 2

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. Not every chapter will have one but some might.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

_-Chasing Pavements-  
_**Elena's POV**

Damon. Where are you, Damon? I paced around his room for the billionth time that day looking for a clue that maybe I missed. I've looked everywhere. No note, not a single thing out of place. Everything is just like he left it. I woke up after Bonnie did the spell and I was disappointed to see Stefan. I knew immediately I was still a vampire, but I felt different, freer. "It's the sire bond. The cure must have only taken away the fact she was sired to Damon." Bonnie had said it. I remember getting up and searching everywhere for Damon.

_I've made up my mind,  
Don't need to think it over  
If I'm wrong, I am right  
Don't need to look no further,  
This ain't lust  
I know this is love  
But, if I tell the world  
I'll never say enough  
'cause it was not said to you  
And that's exactly what I need to do  
If I end up with you_

"Damon. I love you." I said it again to his empty room as I left to search the rest of the boarding house, again.

"Go home Elena. He's not coming back." Stefan. I tensed immediately. We haven't been getting along and it had a lot to with Damon. He needed to understand but every time I tried to explain it turned into a fight. There was still a Stefan shaped imprint next to the fireplace, and I'm sure that the Elena shaped imprint was still on the wall directly across from it.

"If you'd help me a little, maybe I'd get him home sooner. He never gave up looking for you, you know that."

"He left Elena! He doesn't want to be found. Give up! Move on!"

I turned to face him now. "No! I won't give up Stefan. I love him."

"Only because you were sired to him, do you not see that maybe, just maybe you still are?!" I could see the pain on his face mixed with hope.

"I'm not Stefan! I know I'm not! The sire bond is gone and I can think for myself. I always have thought for myself Stefan. I love Damon. I loved him when I was human and I still love him now. Can't we put this behind us? We both want him home." I was thrown towards a couch.

"I don't want him home Elena! I don't want to see you with him! I don't want to see him touch the woman I still love!"

I got up and threw him into his chair. "Then make a choice Stefan! Don't walk around here and hold out hope that I'll come back to you because I'm sorry but I won't. If you don't want to see me with Damon when he comes home; and yes I will find him and bring him home, then make the choice to leave." I turned on my heel and walked out the front door.

_Should I give up,  
Or should I just keep chasin' pavements?  
Even if it leads nowhere  
Or would it be a waste  
Even if I knew my place  
Should I leave it there  
Should I give up,  
Or should I just keep chasin' pavements  
Even if it leads nowhere_

I hated to fight with Stefan. He was the only one who still didn't believe that I love Damon. No one else was helping me find him but I was okay with that, they accepted that I love him and they still asked me if I had found him yet; even though I knew they didn't care. I needed Damon's help. I was still getting used to being a vampire. I could control the feeding and Jeremy and I had gotten closer now that he didn't have the urge to kill me all the time. But everything was still new, the speed, the hearing, the emotions, I felt like my world was crumbling and I needed Damon. He's always been the constant in my life, even when I was human. He was always there for me. "I promise you. I will never leave you again." That's what he'd said. He left anyways.

I walked in the house and it was too quiet. "Jer? Are you home?" I saw a note on the kitchen table with my name on.

ELENA-  
WENT OUT OF TOWN WITH MATT.  
BE BACK IN A COUPLE OF DAYS.  
BRINGING A SURPRISE BACK.  
YOU'LL LIKE IT, DON'T FREAK.  
LOVE, JER

"A couple of days Jer? Honestly, where could you and Matt afford to fly off to for a couple of days?" Surprise. That's the word I was stuck on. Something was going on. If he had wanted to surprise me he could have bought me something in Mystic Falls, why go somewhere else. In a matter of seconds I was in his room. "Okay, Jer. You're hiding something. What is it?" I look through his entire desk and his old stoner hiding spots. Nothing. As I'm walking out his computer chimes, I instantly turn around. Elijah? It was an e-mail from Elijah. I opened it up and read it, if Jer was in trouble I had a right to know.

I sat there stunned. For the first time in a long time I was crying happy tears.  
Jer had been looking for Damon since he left.  
Jer had asked Elijah for help.  
They found him, Damon Gilbert, he took my last name.  
Elijah paid for Jer and Matt to go to Barbados to get him.  
The surprise, was Damon.  
For the first time in 3 months, 12 weeks, 90 days, I felt hope.  
Maybe Damon still loved me. Maybe I didn't have to be alone for an eternity.

_I build myself up  
And fly around in circles  
Waitin' as my heart drops  
And my back begins to tingle  
Finally, could this be it_


	3. Chapter 3

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. Not every chapter will have one but some might.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

_-Everything's not lost-  
_**Stefan's POV**

"He's gone Stefan. I can't find Damon." He should have been there. I didn't spend the last months searching for the cure for her, I did it for him. He deserved to have what he wanted, he's overcome so much and it was all because of her. He did so much to find her the cure so that he could give her what she deserved, to be human and grow up, so why did he just leave? Except now it had been for nothing, she wasn't human, just un-sired. I should have been happy but seeing the broken hearted look on her face as I told her what Jeremy had told me, it wrecked me. For the first time I realized that she does love my brother just as fiercely as he loves her.

_If you ever feel neglected  
If you think all is lost  
I'll be counting up my demons  
Hoping everything's not lost  
When you thought that it was over  
You could feel it all around  
Everybody's out to get you  
Don't you let it drag you down  
Cause if you ever feel neglected  
If you think that all is lost  
I'll be counting up my demons  
Hoping everything's not lost_

It wasn't the sire bond, he has to know. I call him over and over trying to get a hold of him, nothing. I check everywhere that he has lived in the past, not a sign of him. Every day I see her and she looks worse. Things are tense between us, it's because he's not here. I know that now, he was always the connection between us after Elena and I broke up.

"Stefan, when you left with Klaus he was worried about you. Now you sit here like nothing is wrong. Damon is gone and you aren't even trying to bring him back. What kind of brother are you?" Those six words are what made me do what I never wanted to.

I grabbed her and threw her at the wall, and let the monster in me come out. "I'm Damon's brother! We hurt each other! Over and over! He'll come back eventually. Let him go Elena! He doesn't want you or me anymore!" I was sent flying towards the fireplace.

"No! Excuses Stefan, that's all that is!" She was growling at me as she picked me up and tossed me across the room. "I know you want to find him, why not let yourself admit it!"

"Because, I don't want to find him Elena!" I ran to her and held her throat against the floor. "I'm tired of being the good brother! Let. Him. Go. Stop looking for him! He doesn't love you, he left you! He doesn't want you Elena anymore than he wanted Caroline, or Andie, or Rose! You were just a toy to Damon!" She was crying, I should have hated to make her cry but I didn't.

Pain. I grab my head and Elena coughs to catch her breath. "I will take you out Stefan if you hurt Elena again. Do I make myself clear?" Bonnie. I should have known. I forgot we weren't alone. I looked at Elena once the aneurysm healed and saw Jeremy and Caroline standing protectively in front of her.

"Crystal, Bonnie. Get out of my house. All of you." I turn and at vampire speed run up to my room. I hear them all leave and then I lose it.

_When I'm counting up my demons  
Saw there was one for every day  
With the good ones on my shoulder  
I drove the other ones away_

Everything within reaching distance is either thrown or torn. I curse Damon for leaving. Elena is right, he is my brother and I should want to find him. What she can't know, what I can't tell her, is that I have no clue how. Damon was always the one to find me. I was never able to find him, unless he wanted me to. I should enlist help but from who? I don't know of anyone, human or vampire or even werewolf, who would be able to find Damon. Katherine. Part of me almost calls her to help, but I decide against it. Of course I know she'd know right where to find Damon, but I know that in the end he and Elena would both hate me for involving Katherine.

The days pass slow as I watch Elena tear the boarding house apart looking for some clue as to where Damon would go. We don't talk. Talking only leads to fighting and I really don't want Bonnie to kill me if I hurt Elena, and part of me doesn't want to hurt her because I know Damon would kill me. After nearly 3 months of silence we talk again. She asks for my help and I respond the only way I know how, fighting. I throw the sire bond in her face in hopes that she will just leave, leave me to miss my brother by myself. It's hard enough to know that I miss him but to see her broken face day after day is another kind of hurt entirely. Just like I knew she would she fights back with her words and I know she's not going to leave until I deliver the lowest blow I can.

I gather all my strength, physically and emotionally, and throw her back towards the hallway. "I don't want him home Elena! I don't want to see you with him! I don't want to see him touch the woman I still love!" I said it. I admitted it. I still love Elena Gilbert, that's why it hurts to much to see her broken. My brother broke her and I can't fix her. That's the only part that isn't a lie. I'd gladly watch my brother with Elena, watch him hold her and kiss her and make her happy if it meant that she wouldn't be broken. Yet, with my nearly 150 years of practice I lie perfectly to her and she believes it.

I'm thrown into the chair I've taken to sulking in and she yells back at me just as fiercely. "Then make a choice Stefan! Don't walk around here and hold out hope that I'll come back to you because I'm sorry but I won't. If you don't want to see me with Damon when he comes home; and yes I will find him and bring him home, then make the choice to leave." I watch her as she walks out of my home. I know she won't be back, at least not today. I wait until I hear her car pull onto the road and out of hearing range before I answer her.

"I won't leave Elena. I don't want you back. The only hope I'm holding onto is that my brother might come to his senses sooner rather than later and come back to you. I'm choosing to wait for that day to come and when it does maybe both of us can be friends and move past everything." I pour myself a strong drink and head for my room. When I get there I can feel that something is different. Someone was in here and it wasn't Elena. I quickly scan the room and find a piece of paper on my desk.

STEFAN-  
I FOUND DAMON.  
I'M GOING TO BRING HIM HOME.  
LOOK OUT FOR ELENA.  
I'M TRUSTING YOU.  
-JEREMY

Found Damon?  
Jeremy found Damon?  
How?  
Of course, I'd look out for Elena.  
I don't realize I'm smiling until I finally sit down.  
For the first time in months I let myself have hope that Jeremy will succeed in bringing Damon home. Hope that maybe the next time I see Elena she won't look broken, she'll look happy, and Damon will be with her. Hope that maybe everything will be okay now.

_If you ever feel neglected  
If you think all is lost  
I'll be counting up my demons  
Hoping everything's not lost_


	4. Chapter 4

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Damon's POV**

Light. Dinging. A horrible, incessant dinging. "What the hell? Where am I?" I blink my eyes open and see what looks like an airplane cabin. I look around and sure enough I'm thousands of feet in the air. The previous conversation comes back to me as I see Jeremy sit up across from me.

"Glad you decided to join us again. Need a drink?"

"Are you offering Gilbert?" I glare at him and he knows I'm kidding. "How did you get me on this plane? I was heavily sedated with vervain by the quarterback." I jerk my thumb towards Donovan, and the incessant dinging of his phone while he plays his game. Of course even though he's got headphones on my vampire hearing can still pick up each ding of his pinball game.

"Elijah. He was staying in Barbados and was kind enough to compel the stewardess to overlook that fact. As far as anyone knows you walked on here yourself, and then decided to take a nap. We've got the whole first class cabin to ourselves as well." He was staring at me, probably waiting for me to fight him on literally dragging me back to Mystic Falls.

I raise an eyebrow at him. "I'm impressed Gilbert. You have everything clearly thought out." Elena. The realization that I will soon be face to face with her hits me. "What about your sister? How did she react when you told her about your plan to kidnap me and bring me back?" His heartbeat picks up and I can tell he's getting nervous. He didn't tell Elena.

"I don't know. I guess we'll find out when we get to the house. I was in a hurry, left her and Stefan a note." What is he 5? Notes, seriously? I can't help but laugh at him.

"Very smooth. I expect that she will be ready to fight me. I might need that drink after all." As the stewardess is about to leave to get my drink I ask the inevitable question that makes my heart come to my throat. "How long until we land…" I look at her nametag. "Cindy?" I smile and can see her melt under my smoldering gaze.

"5 hours sir." And with that she walked away.

5 hours until we land in Virginia and I see the love I left behind. I drain the cheap bourbon as soon as she returns and ask for the bottle. I try to look anywhere but at Jeremy, the family resemblance between him and her is still noticeable and it makes my heart hurt even more. Elena. Hell, after nearly 150 years alive I shouldn't be feeling nervous about anything, but I am. What the hell am I going to say to her? Sorry for breaking your heart, that sounds to cliché. I'm a big asshole, well that doesn't begin to cover how big a jerk I was for leaving her. I love you and I hope you forgive me, hell still too cliché. I didn't notice that Jeremy was still staring at me until he spoke.

"You don't have to say anything you know. She just wants to know you're okay. She's been worried sick about you." He pauses. "But if you hurt her again, I'll stake you." He ends with a smirk and pulls out a deck of cards. "How about a few games of poker?"

Was Gilbert actually getting good at reading people? "I know." That's all I said. He's right about everything. I know she has already forgiven me and I know I don't have to say anything, but I need to. I need to at least try and tell her how I feel, how sorry I am and how much I love her. I also know that yes he probably will stake me if I hurt Elena again; hell I'd probably stake myself. I sit up and grab the cards from him. "Get ready to lose Jer." As I busy myself with shuffling I let my mind wander and daydream a little about my reunion with Elena. I smile to myself knowing that now he doesn't want to be inside my head to see how I'm picturing his sister.

**Elena's POV**

Why can't I find the flight information? That's right because I'm not supposed to know. I growl to myself. It's been nearly 2 days, where could they be? In the back of my mind I wonder if I should tell Stefan, probably not. I go back to cleaning the house for the 7th time in the last 2 days. Damon is coming home. I can't help but smile, I can even feel my cheeks warming as I blush thinking about the reunion I want to have with him. I turn on the radio just so the silence is taken over by something. I have it so loud that I barely hear a car pull into the driveway. I raise my head and rush at record speed to pull the door open.

Stefan. It's Stefan. "Come in." I can't help but feel a bit disappointed. I was hoping it would be Damon and Jeremy.

"Wow. This place looks…clean. You seem happier today?" He is questioning me. I wonder briefly if he knows, but he can't, can he?

"Yeah, Jeremy went out of town with Matt and said he's bringing me a surprise. I'm a bit excited." I turn away quickly so he doesn't see me blush. I have to keep myself in check if I'm supposed to act surprised when Damon gets here.

"Surprise? I wonder what it could be."

I hear him sit down and I sit across from him. I can feel the tension in the air, he knows something. Before I can question him too much my phone rings, Caroline. I really don't want to talk to her but I know if I don't answer she will keep bugging me. "Caroline. What's up?"

"**Elena! How's this sound, you and me hit the town tonight? We can drink, dance, let go. Come on you need to have some fun."**

"I'm…busy Caroline. Sorry." I see Stefan get up and leave the room as he tries to pretend not to hear what she's saying.

"**Stop moping already. Damon's gone. Get over it. It's not like you really loved him, you were sired Elena. You loved him because he wanted you to."**

Her words are ones I've heard countless times before. "I do love him Caroline. It wasn't the sire bond. I've explained this to you. I love Damon."

"**Oh come on! We all know that Damon probably left because he doesn't love you. He probably still saw you as a Katherine substitute. In fact I bet he's banging her right now, while you sit there thinking that he was actually capable of loving you."**

"That's not true!" I'm growling at her now and I swear if she were here I'd lung at her. "He does love me. Goodbye Caroline!" I slam the phone down and go to the kitchen.

"I know you heard it all Stefan." I look at him. "I'm going to start dinner. I'm sure Jer and Matt will be back soon. Are you staying? It's spaghetti tonight, Gilbert secret sauce." I give him a smile but it's still a forced smile.

"Yeah, sure. I'll help you cook. By the way, Caroline's wrong. Damon never saw you as Katherine. I can say as a fact he hates her but he loves you." He comes and starts cutting up the garlic for the bread. This time the smile I give him is a genuine happy smile.

"Thanks Stefan."

At least this feels somewhat normal. Now in this moment, we are joking and laughing at each other as we get the things out to cook. We recall old memories and are able to be just Stefan and Elena again. It feels nice, almost like home. Now if only Jer, Matt and Damon would be here it would be complete.

**Stefan's POV**

Elena seems to be happier today, not so broken but mending. I don't bring up the fact that Jeremy left me a note saying Damon was coming back with him, I don't want to get her hopes up in case he didn't convince my big brother. I'm happy to be cooking with Elena, even though I know her Gilbert family secret sauce taste like crap, I'll still eat it and tell her it's good. I am thinking however of maybe enrolling her in a cooking class if she's going to start cooking regularly. I smile to myself when her back is turned as I picture her sitting in the class burning almost everything.

"What's so funny Stefan?"

"Nothing." I quickly lie and throw a spaghetti noodle at her. She ducks it and flicks butter on me. "Very mature Elena."

"Yes just like you and that noodle." Her smile is genuine again and I find myself returning the smile. Her cell phone rings again but as she's juggling spices and draining the meat I start moving toward it. I swear if it's Caroline I'm going to tell her off, but it's not.

"Elena's phone. Stefan speaking." It's Jeremy. I know that from the caller ID.

"**Stefan? Where's Elena? Is she okay?"**

"Yeah she's fine. We're cooking dinner and although she may be a vampire she can't juggle spices, drain meat, and answer a phone. No one is that talented."

"**Yeah I guess you're right. Well we just landed. We should be home in about an hour. We can't remember where Matt parked his truck."**

"Okay. I'll let her know. Spaghetti and garlic bread should be done by then. Is there anything else?"

"**Uh, oh look there it is Matt! Got to go Stefan. See ya later."**

He hangs up before I can answer. I put the phone down knowing Elena heard every word. He didn't mention Damon and I couldn't hear him or Matt in the background. Elena looks like she might break again any second. I go up to her and hug her.

"What's the hug for Stefan?" I can see her eyes now and I know she knows.

"To let you know I'm here. I couldn't hear Damon but that doesn't mean he's not with him." I let her know that yes, I do know what Jeremy left to do. She stares wide eyed at me and then returns my hug with a force that would have knocked me down if the counter wasn't behind me.

"I miss him so much Stefan. I didn't know Jer was looking. What if Damon's not with him? I don't know if I can lose him again."

I pull her back and set her in front of the stove. "Let's just take this one thing at a time okay? We'll finish dinner and then Jeremy and his entourage should be here. If Damon is with him then hell we will party like no tomorrow. If he's not, well I'm here and I swear to you Elena, you and me together will find him and go to him okay?" She nods and turns to make the sauce. I turn and start to set the table.

After the noodles and place settings are on the table, including a seat for Damon, I turn to go back to her. "Ah the infamous Gilbert sauce. Will you ever tell me the secret?"

"Nope. It's a family thing." She takes the pot and starts to turn to take it to the table.

"Not much of a secret. Original Prego, just with extra spices added in." That voice makes Elena drop everything; my vampire reflexes kick in while hers are in shock. Only one person in the world has that voice.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Thank you for the positive feedback. Here's the next chapter. Delena's reunion is cut short but it's far from over. They will have their own reunion chapter that I'm working on now. I'll put it up as soon as I finish it. =]**_

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Damon's POV**

We pull up to the house and I can already hear Elena and Stefan in the kitchen. Before Jeremy and Matt are out of the car I'm in the house looking at her. She's beautiful, I think to myself. I can hear Jeremy telling Matt to give it a couple of minutes before they come in, I remind myself to thank him later.

"Ah the infamous Gilbert sauce. Will you ever tell me the secret?" I hear Stefan ask her. He has no clue I'm here. Little brother had been eating bunnies again if he didn't hear me come in.

"Nope. It's a family thing." Her voice, it nearly makes me drop to the floor.

Before Stefan can say anything else I hear myself say the first thing that pops into my head. "Not much of a secret. Original Prego, just with extra spices added in." She turns at vamp speed and looks at me, dropping everything. Luckily Stefan catches it.

"Damon?" She doesn't approach me. I can see the hurt I caused in her eyes.

"Elena." I'm unable to say anything else. She has regained control of herself and is in my arms and we are knocked to the floor. I can't help but smile. "Happy to see me then are you?"

She smiles at me. "You have no idea Mr. Salvatore."

"Gilbert." She looks at me confused as we stand up, but I can tell that she's faking the confusion. I can read her like a book. I notice that Stefan has joined Jeremy and Matt outside. "I was going by Damon Gilbert, as you already know. You're bad at hiding things, at least from me." I give her a smile. "I'm so sorry Elena. I thought that when you woke up and were human that…maybe it was just the sire bond. I was stupid. I should have never left. I love you so much."

"Damon. You weren't stupid, crazy and impulsive maybe, but not stupid. I was hurt when I woke up and you weren't there. I looked everywhere, Stefan didn't know how to find you and I thought maybe you didn't want us to for a while. I love you Damon. I always have, ever since you were the mysterious stranger who told me he wanted me to find true, consuming, crazy and impulsive love." She smiles at me and I can't hold back anymore. I grab her and I kiss her.

How could I have ever doubted her love? I can feel it. I can feel her, every inch of her. The kiss had started out sweet and tender but now it was also passionate and hungry. I didn't know how much I had missed her until this moment. I found myself being pushed against the wall and I could feel her hands explore my body. I sigh contentedly as I pick her up and turn her around so that now I have her against the wall. We are exploring each other, extensively. It was like each touch was electric. Her hands under my shirt pulling me closer and harder against her. My hands doing the same except my right hand now found its way to her breast. She let out a small moan and I knew that we both wanted the same thing, yet I knew that there was something I should remember, but I couldn't. I had lost myself in her. It was just Elena and I there in the moment. Then I heard it, the voice that snapped me back to reality just as I was about to rip off the little red top she was wearing.

"Okay, guys we are going to eat. We really don't need a show too." Jeremy Gilbert.

We separate immediately and yes I see her blush. I notice that they are already sitting at the table and I pull out a chair for Elena. "We might as well join them. It's nice to eat first, then you get desert." I raise my eyebrow at her, causing her to blush more, and smile. She swats me lightly on the arm and sits down.

"Mhmm and that desert is that cake over there." She points to a store bought cake and for a moment I'm disappointed but then I nod. I'm already way ahead of her in this game.

"After that I have surprise for you Ms. Gilbert. Be sure and eat very well." I give her my best sexy smile and lean over to whisper in her ear. "You're going to need your strength." I let my lips graze her cheek as I pull away. I could play this little teasing game all night if that's what she wants.

**Jeremy's POV**

I'm glad that Damon's back. Elena is happy and things are starting to feel like normal again. I could have gone without walking into the kitchen and seeing him groping on my sister though. Seriously how can Stefan sit there and eat without wanting to yak up his food? They are still teasing each other, and it only makes it that much harder to enjoy the food I'm hurrying to eat.

"So. How was Barbados, Damon?" Stop trying to turn my sister on with your stupid smiles and at least wait until I'm not home, but I can't say that out loud, it's rude my mom would tell me.

"Sunny. Dreadfully boring, since I'd been there before. But very hot." He looks at Elena as he drags out the word hot and Matt and I both choke on our drinks. Seriously, Stefan still looks un-phased as this is what type of exchange is supposed to happen over dinner.

"Well I'm done. Thanks for supper Lena. I think I'll stay at Matt tonight. You ready?" I look at him hopefully.

"I'm still eating Jeremy. I can't finish half a plate in 2 seconds like you obviously did." He doesn't seem to mind the fact that they are teasing each other either. That's when it hits me that both Matt and Stefan are also Elena's exes. I groan to myself as I walk out the room, they both probably did the same thing and that's why it seems okay to them. Well that and Elena is not their sister, she's mine.

"Jeremy! Wait up! I think I'll take this plate to go. Thanks Elena. Welcome back Damon." I hear Matt quickly run to catch up with me. Apparently he's picked up on the reason I want out of the house so fast.

"Hold my food Gilbert. You know if they were making you that uncomfortable we should have left before I went back for seconds."

"They didn't seem to bother you, but I'm Elena's brother. I could have gone without seeing what I did when I walked in." I glare at him as he pulls away from the house.

"I was ignoring them that's why. Letting them have their moment. Stefan told you not to go in yet but you ignored the vampire who could hear what was going on." He looked pointedly at me.

"Just drive Matt." I didn't want to think about it anymore. Next time I would listen to Stefan.

**Stefan's POV**

"Well you seem to have made Jeremy uncomfortable." I glare at my big brother. I've known for a while that he and Elena were far from done. I told him not to go in the house yet, but he didn't listen and he walked in on what I only could imagine were my brother and Elena almost going at in the kitchen.

"Are you uncomfortable baby bro? Because you're welcome to leave too." I could see the glint of hope in his eyes.

"Actually, no but I'll go anyway. You two obviously have other plans for the rest of the evening. Just make sure the house is still standing Damon." He glares at me.

"Don't I always Stefan?"

"That's debatable. Thank you for dinner Elena. See you two, well some other time." Before Damon can throw the fork he had picked up I'm already out the front door. I hear Elena laugh and chairs knock over as I presume they pick up where they left off. I walk off smiling, they are both happy and safe that's all that matters.

The walk home is quiet. I see the silver car in the driveway and I can't help the growl that escapes my throat. She has the nerve to show up at my house after the way she talked about my brother. I walk to the car only to see she's not in it, I hear her inside and my anger escalates.

"Knocking is still custom Caroline, as is waiting for the owner of the home to get home before you let yourself in." I see her standing in front of the fireplace pacing. She looks up at me as my words sink in.

"Yes I know. I'll go Elena's now. By the look on your face I'm guessing Damon's not back and that's why you're so angry. I told her that he didn't love her enough to come back." She starts to walk towards the door but I grab her by the wrist.

"You aren't going anywhere." She looks up at me and I know she's seeing my fangs are barred at her. I toss her back in the living room and walk towards her. "Right now I'm going to teach you a lesson."

"Stefan what did I do to you?" I can hear the little bit of fear in her voice. She's only scared because she knows I'm stronger and older than her, she has a right to be scared.

"It's not me you did anything to. It's Elena and it's Damon." I throw her in a chair and stand in front of her with a hand on both arm rests. "I heard what you said to her. Now you listen to me Forbes. If you ever tell Elena again that it was the sire bond that made her love him, I will gladly let her show you how wrong you are."

"I…" I growl at her.

"Shut it. I'm not done. If you ever tell her that my brother only cares for her because she looks like Katherine, I will let him show you how wrong you are. But, if you ever accuse my brother of not being capable of love or accuse him of sleeping with Katherine, I will personally show you how wrong you are. I will rip you to shreds and not think twice. You may be my friend but they are my family and no one talks about my family like that without paying for it. Got it?" I slowly let go of the chair and take a few steps back.

"Stefan. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to cause trouble. It's just Elena's been so sad and I really don't think he'll ever come back…"

I cut her off. "He is back. So now, get out of my house!"

"Okay, I'll go. I'm sorry Stefan." She turns and is back in her car on the street in less than 2 seconds.

Good, that problem solved. After a few calming breaths I pour myself a drink and head upstairs. Today has been a rollercoaster ride but it was definitely worth it. My brother is home, where he belongs. Maybe things in Mystic Falls can be normal now. I walk in to see Rebekah sitting on my bed, and I rethink that last thought. This is Mystic Falls and absolutely nothing is normal, there's always someone looking for trouble. Currently, one of the many problems in town is sitting on my bed.

"What do you want now Rebekah?" I realize this has become a normal greeting to give her. She only shows up when she wants something and the answer is always something to with Elena.

"Stefan. Elena's in trouble." I nod at her; this is nothing new to me. She always says that Elena is in trouble. Something is different though, I notice that her eyes are fearful and it's not for her life. It's for Elena's.

"Well then I think you better explain who is out to get her now. Klaus, or is it someone completely new?" I tried to keep the sarcasm out my voice but it's hard not to when I'm looking straight at Barbie Klaus, as Damon calls her.

"Tatia. It's Tatia, Stefan." My heart drops. Tatia is supposed to be dead. Klaus and Elijah said she was dead, if that's not true then…

"That changes things. Would you like a drink?" This is going to be a long night.


	6. Chapter 6

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Elena's POV**

Finally everyone was gone. Damon had jumped up, pulling me with him and pinned me against the wall, again. He knocked over a few chairs but I don't think he noticed. I could have cared less if he had knocked everything down, he was here that's all that mattered. I still couldn't believe he was here, it felt like a dream. "Well Damon. We now have the house to ourselves, and you have me against a wall, what are we going to do?" I raise my eyebrows suggestively and he smiles back at me.

"I have some ideas. But first, how about a little game Elena?" He leans in and I can hear my heart beat just a little faster as he nips at my ear. "As much as I know you want to continue what was so rudely interrupted…" I have to struggle to concentrate on what he's saying. His lips are now kissing down from ear to my throat living little sparks of electricity where his tongue touches my skin. "You will have to find me first." I hadn't noticed how close he held me until he was gone.

"Damon?" I looked around in surprise. I heard his laugh and I knew he was still feeling playful. "Okay fine. I'll find you, but when I do be prepared. I won't let you go." As I went to take a step forward he decided to lay down rules. I rolled my eyes.

"Here are you rules lovely. No vampire speed, that takes away the element of surprise. No lights, the dark makes things more interesting." The lights went out and it was pitch black. "Put your cell phone away, that's just plain cheating and will not be accepted." I sat the phone down on the table and smiled.

"Is that all Mr. Rule maker?" I asked as I walked over to the kitchen drawer and pulled out a flashlight. My house still creeped me out when it was all dark.

"Not at all Ms. Gilbert. There's one more." All of a sudden I can feel his breath on the back of my neck. "No flashlights either, cheater." He grabs the flashlight I had in my hand and was gone, again. "Now you can begin." His voice sounded far away but I knew it was coming from upstairs.

I knew my house very well so walking to the stairs was not a challenge, also having better night vision as a vampire helped as well. I looked first in my room, nothing. He was playing hard to get. I heard a click come from Jeremy's room so I checked there next, a message.  
_Use your senses Elena. I know you can sense me if you try hard enough.  
_I went back into the hallway and closed my eyes. The house was silent but I could hear his faint heartbeat. Keeping my eyes closed I followed the sound. I was getting closer. I opened my eyes to find myself in my room again, this time the desk lamp was on.  
_See I told you so. Now…focus really hard.  
_I sigh, this was getting us nowhere and it was getting boring really fast. I closed my eyes yet again and focused on Damon's heartbeat. Suddenly I felt myself being launched onto my bed. My eyes pop open to see Damon laughing as he held me down.

"No fair Damon, where were you?" He laughs even harder.

"Right behind you, except when I left you the clues. I was getting anxious, as were you I'm guessing."

I narrow my eyes at him. "Okay so now we are on my bed, what now?"

He leans down and kisses me right below my ear. "We finish what we started." He moves down my neck, kissing and nipping all the way to my cheast. I press my body closer to him and hear him growl in appreciation. "Do you favor this shirt Elena?" He mumbles the question as his hands start moving down my arms and are on my cheast along with his mouth.

"Not at all." I manage to tell him in a whisper.

He rips the shirt and throws it to the floor. My hands start their climb up his back as I find the top of his shirt and rip it off. I throw it to the floor next to mine. His mouth continues to kiss and nip its way down my body. I can't help the giggle that escapes as he kisses my stomach, it tickles. He looks up at me and smiles. His lips are suddenly back on mine. I flip him over and now I'm straddling him. I lean close to his ear and whisper, "I love you."

I nip at his ear and kiss my way down his neck until I get to the base of it. My hands slide over his perfectly sculpted cheast, I decide to linger a while as I play my own little game with Mr. Salvatore. I focus on his nipples, I kiss each one then suck, hard. He moans and writhes underneath me. I smile knowing that this drives him crazy. I grab his wrists and hold him down firmly on my bed. I nip my way down his body until I reach the top of his jeans. I run my tongue back and forth across the area; this causes him to moan a little louder.

"Elena…" It's a breathless whisper, but I hear it.

"Hmm?" I answer as I look up at him. Suddenly he breaks my hold on his wrists and we are against my bedroom wall. He holds me against it as he hungrily kisses me. This time he throws me on the bed and walks slowly back over to me.

"Elena." He purrs my name as he comes and lies next to me. "I hope you are ready for a very long evening." He climbs on top of me and rips off my bra. His mouth is on my breasts before I can answer him.

**Damon's POV**

Elena. She really knows how to get a man going, or at least she knows how to get me going. Good thing I know to reciprocate. I rip off her bra and take just a second to look at her prefect breasts. I can't take it any longer. I start to kiss and suck and nip at them. She gasps and moans loudly. She's trying to buck me off so I grab her wrists and hold her in place. I kiss my way down her body, her perfectly smooth and beautiful body. I don't stop when I reach her jeans I rip them off.

I continue to kiss her. I'm determined to kiss every single inch of her perfect body. Her legs are perfect and I admire them as I kiss my way down them. "Damon." Her voice is perfect, sexy, husky, breathless, and hungry. I roll her over to straddle me and look into her beautiful brown eyes.

"Elena. I love you." I grab her face and pull her lips to mine. I need her to know. I need her to know that she is it for me. I grab her back and pull her as close as I possibly can. She kisses her way back down my body and is at my waist again. This time she can't hold back any more than I could and she rips off my jeans. She looks up at me and I know that she knows. My hands slide down her back and reach their destination as I rip off her lacy panties, while her hands are sliding down my body and ripping off my boxers.

She brings her mouth back to mine and her tongue invades my mouth once more. She rolls us back over and I don't hover long. I have waited 3 months to be inside her again and I don't plan to wait another second. She moans as I thrust into her hard, soon we come to a steady rhythm. Her hands claw at my shoulders as she tries to bring me as close as she possibly can. I let my fangs graze her lovely perfect neck and she moves her head to the side to allow me better access. "Are you sure Elena?" I manage to ask as we continue our steady rhythm we've made.

"Yes." She moans and I don't think twice.

I sink my fangs into her neck and start to suck. Her blood tastes like very very fine wine. I'd choose this over bourbon any day. The sparks are there in my mind. Every memory we've had I see from her point of view. She loves me. It was always me. I feel her fangs graze my neck and hear the question in my mind. _Is it okay Damon?_ I push my neck towards her fangs and feel the sharpness of them. Not long after I feel her bite, it's like heaven. The fireworks erupt.

We're connected. Not only physically and emotionally but by blood. This is the first time we've ever fed off each other at the same time. It's better than I ever thought it'd be. It's like we were made to love each other. I never knew how much I really loved her until this moment, I knew it was consuming and passionate but this, this feeling is…indescribable. My whole life I've waited to find the one person who could love me for me, my bad and my good. I'm over joyed that I finally found her. _I feel the same way Damon._ Her words echo in my mind. I pull back and she does too.

I stare at her beautiful face as start to move faster. I can feel that she's almost there and amazingly so am I. Our bodies are just as in sync as we are its amazing. She moans louder and louder and I can feel her claws in my back. I groan and thrust even harder. Once. Twice. One more time and we both reach our climax. I roll over and pull her onto my cheast. We lay there for I don't know how long just holding each other.

"I'm so glad you're home Damon. I missed you. Please don't leave." She hugs me tighter.

"I won't Elena. I missed you too. I love you." I pull her closer to me and rub her back.

She gets up and starts to pull back her covers. She slides in and motions for me to do the same. Again I don't have to be told twice. I jump up and pull the covers down and slide in next to her. She snuggles up to me, she's tense. I rub her back soothingly and pull her face to mine. "What's wrong Elena?" I search her eyes but for once they aren't giving anything away.

"It's nothing. It's stupid really considering what I just saw."

"It's obviously nothing. What's wrong?"

"I can't stop from thinking about what Caroline said today. I know it's not how you feel and I know it's not how you see me, it's just…I don't know." She sighs and turns her head away from me.

"What the hell did Vampire Barbie say now? And don't say nothing because I want to know now damnit!" Caroline has Elena upset? I swear I'll rip out her heart and make her eat it.

"Okay. When you first were attracted to me was it because I look like Katherine?" She looks me in the eyes and I know that now this is what's bothering her. It's stupid.

"No Elena. I knew from the moment I met you and you said 'I'm Elena.' That you were nothing like Katherine. I saw it in your eyes. Those beautiful, strong, stubborn brown eyes. They could see through anything. I knew just from looking into those eyes and you are everything that Katherine isn't. You're smart, beautiful, strong, stubborn, honest, loving, you go after what you want and let nothing get in your way, you protect those you love even if it means you hurt yourself, and most of all you're caring and selfless. You were never Katherine, not for a single second did my mind ever think you were her." My eyes don't leave hers as I tell her this and I can tell she knows I'm telling the truth. She's seen it all when we just blood shared. I knew she needed to hear me say it though, and I'd say it over and over again if it's what makes her happy.

She smiles at me and kisses me lightly on the lips. "One more question though. That night, how did you know what I wanted?"

"What do you mean Elena?"

"I asked you what you think I wanted and it's like you read my mind. How'd you know what I wanted to find most in my life?" I smile at her.

"Easy. I told you what I wanted. I had spent nearly 150 years searching for a love that consumed me, passion, adventure and a little danger, I never found it. That is until I met this one girl. You." I touch her nose with my finger and she smiles.

"Well we both found what we had been searching for that night then. Why'd you take the memory away Damon? I was always curious."

I stare at her as if the answer should be obvious. "You didn't deserve someone like me Elena, or at least that's what I thought at the time. I was a bad person. I had killed people, used people, you deserved someone better. You gave me something to work up to. I wanted to be that person you deserved Elena. So I decided that I'd start all over. I compelled you to forget and then I watched you and ever since that night I had tried to be a better person. Obviously I failed, a lot, but even when I did you never left me. Why?" I'm the curious one now. I just bared my soul to her and I need to hear her say what I saw in her memories of me.

"I never left because I couldn't Damon. I knew that you did horrible things, used Caroline, tormented Stefan, and killed Lexi, lashed out by snapping Jeremy's neck when Katherine came back to town and hurt your feelings but I always knew. I always knew that you were a better person than everyone thought. I saw that good come out. You saved me, countless times. You were always there for me Damon and you were always there for Stefan. There were many times when you could have given up and flipped the switch and told me to go to hell and leave town, but you didn't. I told you once we had an understanding; I knew that no matter what happened you cared Damon. You cared about me, about Stefan, about Jeremy and you care about this town. It's your home Damon and I'm your home. No matter how bad you may ever think you are just know that I know that you are more good than you think." That's what I needed to hear her say. I kiss her and we hold on to each other tightly.

"I love you Elena. We have forever to talk. Let's get some sleep." She nods and turns off the desk light. I can feel her close her eyes and I close mine. We drift off to sleep and my dreams are all about her, like they'd always been for my entire life.


	7. Chapter 7

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Jeremy's POV**

I've been up for hours watching Saturday night live re runs on Netflix. Something is wrong, I can feel it, but I have no clue what it is. "Ugh!" This headache is unbearable. I get up and go to Matt's bathroom in search of Excedrin. Hopefully this will help it stop so I can get some sleep. I walk back to the living room but I'm not there, I'm home. What the hell is this? Am I asleep already? I close my eyes tightly and count to 60, surely when I open them I'll be back on the couch watching SNL. I'm not, I'm still home. Something tells me to go upstairs, I decide to follow whatever is leading me there in hopes maybe I'll wake up soon, because this has to be one crazy tripped out dream. Every door is locked except for Elena's which is pushed wide open, I know I shouldn't bother her but I find myself going in her room anyways.

I see Elena and Damon, they are sleeping and something tells me they know I'm not here. They look happy, they should be they're together. They also look vulnerable, like they need protecting. That's weird though, they're vampires, why would they need protection and why do I find myself looking around for danger while they sleep. Hell, if Damon was awake he'd laugh at me and say something like 'Little Gilbert I'm 150 years older than you and I'm stronger than you, I don't need a human boy protecting me.' They're my family though, that's what you do for your family, protect them and look out for them. It's weird thinking of Damon as family but he is, he's protected me and he's fought for me. I know he won't admit it but I know he cares about me at least a little bit. _"You're right son, he does."_ Holy crap!

I spin around and stare at Elena's door in disbelief. Am I seeing ghosts again? I surely hope so because I know my dad is dead, but here he is, talking to me. "Dad?"

"_Follow me Jeremy. We need to talk son."_ He walks away and with one last glance at Elena I follow him.

We are in the living room downstairs and I know now I must definitely be dreaming or at least hallucinating. "Dad, why are you here? Do you know how I'm here, I was at Matt's?" Maybe dream dad would answer my questions. I miss him, a lot, I was never able to see him before I became a hunter, part of me is happy I can see him now.

"_I miss you too Jeremy. I'm here for the same reason you are, to protect them. They need you Jeremy."_

"Who does dad? Elena and Damon, they're vampires."

"_Yes they are, but they need you. There is danger here that is already attacking them."_ I glace towards the stairs and I want to bolt back up to the room and wake them up screaming. They need to hear this too. They need to get out of town and not come back. They need to be safe.

"Oh my God, they're dead aren't they? Elena!" I didn't notice I had turned around until I was face to face with my dad again.

"_No son. They are fine now. It's Stefan. The danger is using Stefan, don't trust him Jeremy. You are the only person they will listen to; they trust you and they love you. But listen to what I am about to tell you all right?"_

I nod my head. I can't say anything. Stefan is dangerous? What does he mean by that? My head feels like its spinning.

"_Go to Bonnie. She can help you protect them. She knows the bond they share; she knows how strong it is."_

"The sire bond is broken dad. It doesn't exist between them anymore." He's chuckling at me. Is my dad seriously laughing at me right now? I thought we were being serious. "Come on dad, stop laughing. It's not funny. What other bond is there?"

"_Soulmate. The soulmate bond. It's stronger than any sire bond. I don't have much more time so listen. Go to Bonnie, right now. Protect your family Jeremy. And know this, no matter what, you're mother and I are very proud of you and your sister. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Be careful of who trust son, not everyone is themselves right now. I love you Jeremy."_

"I love you too dad." With that he's gone.

I look around as everything starts to blur, I'm back in Matt's living room. The TV is still on; nothing looks different, except for one thing. My car keys are on the coffee table. That's not possible because I didn't drive here. My dad's words still echo in my head. "Bonnie." I quickly write Matt a note:  
MATT-  
HAD TO GO SEE BONNIE.  
I'LL EXPLAIN LATER.  
-JEREMY  
PS. DON'T LET STEFAN IN. TRUST ME.

I rush out of the house and head for my car. It's 12:00, midnight. Hell, Bonnie might not even be awake but I have to talk to her. I need her help. I speed across town and find myself running to her door. "Bonnie!" I'm banging on her door. "Bonnie! Open the door! Wake up!" Still banging. "Bonnie Bennett! Open the damn door now! It's an emergency!" The door flies open and she is glaring at me, I can feel the daggers coming from her eyes. "Look I'm sorry but it's Elena. Her and Damon, they're in trouble. I need your help. I saw my dad, he told me to come to you. Please Bonnie." I beg her to listen to me and she stares back at me, she seems shocked.

"Come in Jeremy. Grams came to me tonight too. I can help but this won't be easy." She knows. I walk in and she closes the door. Silently, I pray to God nothing happens before I can talk to Elena and Damon.

**Stefan's POV**

It's midnight. I'm waiting here in the woods, I don't remember coming here but I know I have to be here. I feel…excited. She'll be here, just like she has been for the last 2 months. I'm pacing by the rocks where we always meet; I don't know what she looks like. I'm not allowed to look at her, but her voice, its soft like an angels. She helps me. I don't hear her approach but I can feel her behind me. "Hello my dear Stefan." I smile. I want to turn around but I remember that I can't.

"I missed you." I know it's stupid but I feel like I'm falling in love with her. It's irrational; I've never even properly met her. My thoughts are whirling around in my head and it's starting to hurt.

"I know. Is your brother back in town yet?"

"Yes." I answer automatically. Am I supposed to tell people that? I shouldn't, I should let him and Elena be alone for a while before people rush to them and bombard them with questions.

"Good. Then it's time Stefan. Do you remember what I told you to do when he got home?"

A trip. "Yes. Of course, I'm supposed to take Damon on a trip. Brother bonding."

"Yes very good. What if he wants to bring Elena along?"

No, he can't. I don't remember why but he can't. "I don't let him. She's supposed to stay. I do whatever it takes to make her stay."

"Even if it means you have to hurt her?"

No, yes. "Yes. Even if I have to hurt her."

"Very good. I have to leave now Stefan. You won't remember meeting me here. You will go to Damon and take him out of town. You won't tell anyone about me; it's not time for that yet. If anyone asks you were feeding in the woods and now you're going home. Do you understand?"

"I understand." I turn around quickly.

What happened? Why am I in the woods? I close my eyes and try to remember. Feeding. Yes that has to be it, I was feeding. I need to go home. I start walking in the direction of the boarding house but it feels like it's taking too long. This street, it looks familiar. Elena. This is Elena's street. I'm standing in front of her house; I can hear her and Damon. They're asleep. I should go home, but I don't. I open the front door and let myself in. I listen very carefully, something tells me they can't know I'm here. I walk up the stairs and find myself in her room.

Damon is holding her, they look happy. Too bad, I think to myself. Why did I just think that? Shouldn't I want her to be happy, I love her. If you love someone you want them to be happy no matter what right? I go up to her and carefully move the hair off of her face. She looks beautiful. I look at my brother and a familiar hatred makes itself know. Why should you get the girl big brother? You're not a good person, you don't deserve her, and you're just using her. You don't love her, she's too blind to see it but I'm not. I'll make her see it. What the hell is going on with me? I know that's not right, Damon loves Elena. I know that for a fact, he has proven it over and over again. Can vampires lose their minds? God, I hope so.

I back away from the bed and walk out of the house. I shouldn't have gone there. I quickly find myself at the boarding house and I lock the door behind me. Like that can really keep anyone out? Before I know it I'm in my room packing a backpack. Damon and I just need a trip; we need to have some time to ourselves, as brothers. It's worked in the past, we go on trips, we relax, and we find out that we actually enjoy each other's company. How will I get him to go though? He just got back, it seems wrong to take him back away from town so soon, maybe if Elena comes. She can't I automatically correct myself. No matter what she can't come. I'll need some help with that. Who can keep Elena distracted while I talk to Damon about this trip? Matt. Of course, she trusts Matt. I can ask him for help. I pack a bag for Damon too and head out.

The sun is starting to rise as I pull up to Matt's house. I can hear him awake inside, he's looking for Jeremy. I knock on the door and he's holding a note. I try to grab it from him but he quickly yanks it out of my reach and stuffs it in his pocket.

"Stefan? What's up?"

"Matt I need your help." He looks puzzled.

"Sorry, I can't right now. I need to call Jeremy. We have work today. Can't miss work, I'll see you later." He tries to shut the door but I quickly put my hand against it and keep it from moving.

"No. You will help me, do you understand?" I need his help. He needs to distract Elena so I can get Damon away from her.

"I understand. What do you need my help with?"

"First let me in. We can talk inside." He steps aside and I walk in and shut the door. "Matt, I need you to spend the day with Elena. You see I need to talk to Damon, privately, and I know that won't happen unless Elena is otherwise preoccupied. Will you do that for me?" I have no choice but to keep compelling him. I don't like to do it but I have to. I can't remember why but I know that I can't fail, Damon has to leave town with me.

"Yeah, sure Stefan I'll help. I'll take Elena to a movie or something. It will work out. I'll keep her busy as long as you need me to."

"Good. You won't remember me being here. You'll just know you want to spend time with her. You won't let her know you're distracting her. Do you understand?"

"Yes I understand." I smile. Step one complete.

By the time I hear him move again I'm in my car and heading towards Elena's. I don't know what I'll say but I'll figure it out. If she gets in the way, I'll do whatever it takes to stop her. No matter what.


	8. Chapter 8

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Elena's POV**

The light is gone, where am I? I take a quick look around and I can't see anything. My arms are tied and they burn. I can hear someone with me but I can't see who it is. Damon. I'm struggling to get free; if he's the person here with me I'll kill whoever has hurt him. All of a sudden I'm cut loose; my gut is telling me to run for my life, so I do. I run as fast as I can. I'm quickly out the door and I'm hurdling through the woods. Someone is chasing me, they want to kill me. Damon. I think of him again and I stop dead in my tracks. I turn to face my attacker but I can't see them. All I see is a stake flying through the air like someone launched it at me. It's going to hit me, I know it. I can't seem to make my body move to get out of the way, that's when I see him. Damon comes out of nowhere and jumps in front of me. The stake hits his heart and he's dying. "I'm sorry Elena. I love you." He says those words just as he dies. "No!" I hear myself scream the word over and over again. I can't lose him, he can't be dead. "No! No! No!" I notice I'm shaking; it must be because I'm crying, but then I hear something. "Elena! Elena! Wake up for Christ's sake! Elena!"

My eyes shoot open and I see Damon on top of me. He's gripping my arms and he's shaking me. There's concern in his eyes. A dream, it was just a dream. "Oh God! Damon!" I hug him and start to cry.

"Elena what were dreaming about? You were screaming bloody murder. For a moment I thought I'd lost you, you wouldn't wake up." He was rubbing my back but I could feel he was still concerned.

"You died Damon. I was in trouble, someone was trying to kill me, they almost did, but then you saved me, but you died." I couldn't catch my breath. The dream had felt real. That's what has me scared the most.

"Well I'm not dead. We're both okay Elena. I won't let anyone hurt you."

"I know. It wasn't me I was worried about in the dream. It was you. I can't lose you Damon."

"You won't. Come on, how about I make breakfast?" I nod. He pulls me up and wraps me in my bath robe. "You go shower and get dressed. I'll be downstairs in the kitchen making waffles. Salvatore secret recipe." He raises an eyebrow at me. I don't know what he sees on my face but he's still concerned. "Well at least we know the first half of your dream was good."

"How do you know that?" I try and give him a smile; it's probably more like a half smile.

"It explains why I woke up with drool on my chest."

I swat him on the arm and push him towards the door. "Oh get over yourself Damon. Go make your Salvatore waffles." I smile at him and this time I know my dream was just that a dream. I won't lose him. He walks over to me and kisses me on the cheek.

"I'll tell you a secret. They're eggos." He laughs. "Even the Salvatore's cheat every now and then." With that he's gone and I hear him downstairs in the freezer.

The shower helps calm me down. I don't linger because I can't stand to be away from Damon, dream or no dream. It's been 3 months and I want to spend as much time with him as I can. On my way downstairs I hear him talking to someone. Damn the water, I didn't hear anyone come in.

"Come on Damon. One road trip, just for the day. Brother bonding." Stefan. He wants to take Damon somewhere for the day, that's sweet. He missed his brother.

"I don't know Stef. Maybe." I shake my head. Damon, my worry wart.

"You should go Damon. Stefan missed you too ya know." I sit down next to him and pick up the waffle on my plate. He looks at me for about 2 minutes then nods.

"Okay I'll go. But I'll be back tonight, I promise."

"I know. I'll be waiting." I smile and get up to get orange juice.

About 10 minutes later they're gone. It was hard to see them drive away but I know they have to have some time together. I can't be selfish and keep him all to myself. Maybe I'll call Caroline or Bonnie, girl's day or something. Before I can go upstairs to grab my phone I hear Matt's truck pull up outside. I open the door, he doesn't seemed surprised that it's already open when he reaches it, I think he's finally getting used to me being a vampire with good hearing. "Hey Matt. What's up? Where's Jer?"

"He's with Bonnie. I wanted to know if you wanted to see a movie or something. I don't have work today and I saw Damon head out with Stefan, figured you could use some company."

"Yeah, sure. Come on in. I just have to get a few things then we can go. Maybe we can convince Caroline to come with us." I move aside as he comes in and sits on the couch. "I'll be back down in a minute. Make yourself at home. There's left over waffles in the kitchen if you're hungry." I hear him get up and shake my head. Boys and food, they never waste any.

I go to unplug my cell phone from the charger; Damon must have put it there at some point last night. I have a text from Jeremy.  
WITH BONNIE FOR THE DAY. STAY WITH DAMON. EXPLAIN LATER.  
That's weird. What does he need to explain and why did he want me to stay with Damon? That's when I hear the crash come from downstairs. Matt. I drop the phone and rush downstairs. He's on the floor in the kitchen, not moving. "Shit. Matt!" I can feel a pulse and I sigh a breath of relief. But I know someone's here because someone knocked him out. I stand up and look around the room. I don't see anyone.

"Ahh!" I scream. Pain, it hurts. My vision is blurring and I feel a stab on my neck. I turn my head to see who the hell attacked me and I'm thoroughly surprised. Katherine.

Everything goes black.

**Damon's POV**

"So, little bro. Where are we going exactly?" I notice this route. It leads towards the lake.

"Camping." That narrows it down a bit, NOT!

"You've said that. Remember Stef, a day trip not a sleepover." He's acting like Shady Stefan. I've had my guard up since he got to Elena's. Something is going on.

"Yeah." He nods but its not convincing.

Keep him talking, that's the best way I know to break Stefan. "Alright. Well tell my brother, how were things with you and Elena while I was gone? Was it all rainbows and unicorns again?"

"No. It was…tense." He's hurt. He did something he regrets.

"So was the toddler right? Did you and Elena go at each other like wild dogs?" I need him to answer with more than a sentence.

"Yes okay. We fought. Bonnie's already made sure that I know she'll kill me if I touch Elena like that again." I wait. He'll explain more. "I threw her into a wall and then held her down by her throat, screaming that you didn't care about her. I hurt her. I'm sorry Damon." He hurt Elena? He wouldn't do that no matter how upset he was, I was certain of that.

"Well…as long as witchy has the threats covered and Elena's okay then it's over with. How are things going with Barbie Klaus? Still not admitting the attraction?" That! His eyes glassed over. "Or maybe lil bro's met someone new. Who is she Stef?"

"Just a girl. It's nothing serious." I don't buy that.

"Nothing serious? Come on, I've never met anyone as serious as you." He pulls the car over, I quickly survey the surroundings. Woods, we are near Elena's lake house. When he turns to glare at me I see the look I've been dreading. His eyes are glassed over. He's compelled.

"Stop with the questions Damon! I can't take it anymore!" He gets out of the car and slams the door. He's trying to fight it, and I know he's quickly losing.

"Stefan. Let me help you. Tell me who is doing this. Who's compelled you? Rebekah? Klaus?" He shakes his head. He hasn't let go of it.

"Ahh! I don't know Damon! I can't…God!" He falls to his knees. Shit this is bad. What's he been told to do that could cause this reaction.

I kneel in front of him. "Let me help you Stefan. What do you have to do? I'll help you." Hell, I'll do it for him if it's causing him this much turmoil.

He's shaking his head. "Run Damon. Run now!"

I shake my head. "Not a chance. Tell me what did this person say to do?"

He laughs but it comes out more like a throaty growl. "She told me to get you of town and leave Elena there. After that I'm supposed to kill you." He screams again and I can see him try to fight the compulsion. "Ahh! Run! Now Damon!" I get up and take off.

I know my brother isn't strong enough to fight compulsion. He tried to when Elena's life was in danger and he lost that fight. Hell, I can't even fight off compulsion. I almost killed Jeremy. So here I am running for my life from the one person I know really doesn't want to kill me but has no choice. I can't hear him following me so I think I lost him for a while. I need a plan. I head towards the Gilbert lake house, they have weapons there. I'll need those to take down Stefan long enough to get him back home and locked up. I'll be damned if I'm going to let my brother still be played like a fucking puppet. Elena. Shit he had said he had rules to keep Elena in town, why? Was someone going to go after her? I have to tell someone. I take out my phone and call Bonnie. No fucking answer. Seriously? My phone rings, Jeremy. He's my next best option I guess.

"Look kid. I don't have time for games so listen close…" He cuts me off. The fucking Gilbert kid cuts me off.

"Damon! Please tell me Elena's with you?" I stop. My heart drops and I can't breathe.

"Jeremy, do not tell me she is not in that fucking house!" I scream at him. If someone has taken her I swear they will regret it.

"Shit, Bonnie she's not with him! Damon, look I'm coming over. We need to talk. Bonnie and Matt are coming with me."

"I'm not in town. I'm dealing with a problem of my own. Say kid, where did you leave those extra vervain darts at the lake house?" I have to put Stefan down and soon. I need to get back to town and find the son a bitch who took my Elena.

"The lake house? Why are you there? Who are you with?"

"Doesn't matter little Gilbert. Where are they, I need them?"

"Kitchen island. 3rd drawer to the left in the very back. Are you with Stefan?"

"You catch on quick. He's compelled. I'm going to knock him out and lock him up. I'll meet you back at the boarding house later. Tell witchy she better be ready to fucking find Elena, no matter what." I hang up before I hear his answer.

I gather the weapons I'll need and head back outside. I need to find Stefan. I got my little handy gun that shoots wooden bullets and the vervain darts all ready. There, I can smell him. "Yoo hoo. Little brother. Come out come out wherever you are." I'm probably the only person fucking crazy enough to entice a vampire that's been compelled to kill me. Eh, well at least I know who is going to win.

"I can hear you breathing Stefan. You know you want to kill me. Come on, who wouldn't. I stole your girl. She was sired to me. I killed your best friend. I tormented you for over a century so now, here is your chance. Kill me Stefan. Come on. Don't be a whimp." That gets him out.

I spin around just as he is launching for me. *bang!* that's one leg. He's still limping towards me but he's growling at me now. "I didn't say I wouldn't fight back Stef." *bang!* that's the other leg. He falls to the ground in pain. I walk over to him and he tries to snap at me. "Uh uh uh. Nighty night Stefan. See ya when we get back to Mystic Falls." I jab the vervain dart in his neck and pick him up.

Once we reach the car I put him in the passenger seat and quickly get the car turned around. I break all kind of speed limits in my rush to get back to town. No one uses my brother as a puppet. No one takes the girl I love and does anything to her.

This son a bitch is going to pay when I get back in town.


	9. Chapter 9

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Jeremy's POV**

Damnit! Elena's gone. I should have come here first last night. Matt is no help, he didn't see who knocked him out. Damon's out near the lake house with Stefan and God only knows what is going on there. My sister is gone, I have to do something. I have to find her.

"Bonnie can't you do that tracking spell again?"

"She's not human anymore. It won't work."

This has been her answer for the past half hour. I'm pacing at the boarding house. Where is Damon? There has to be some kind of spell out there to find a vampire. If only we could talk to some more experienced witches, or someone who has talked to them. "That's it! God, why didn't I think of this before?!"

"Jeremy? What's wrong?" Bonnie is still looking for an answer in one of those 50 grimoires she has.

"We need to find Elena. I could ask my dad. Surely he has talked to your grams or someone on the other side; he might be able to help Bonnie."

She nods. "It's worth a shot. I'll keep looking."

I roll my eyes, stubborn just like Elena. I sit on the couch and close my eyes. I can picture my dad, his brown hair and brown eyes, his dress shirt and pants with those ugly brown loafers. His smile, I miss him, even though I thought he was a boring old man, I still love him and I miss him a lot. _"Well son those ugly loafers cost $35."_

"Dad!" It worked. He's here. I need to get to the point fast. "I'm in trouble, well not me but Elena is, and Damon!"

"_Yes I know. I've been watching. Damon has it under control, he's a damn good fighter I'll give him that."_

"Yeah I know. He trained me when I became a hunter. We need to find Elena. Bonnie can't find a spell to use to track her location. Can you talk to her Grams and see if she knows anything?"

"_I already have. She told me to have you tell her she already knows."_

What the hell? I look at Bonnie. "YOU ALREADY KNOW BONNIE AND YOU HAVEN'T TOLD ME!"

"I have no clue what you're talking about Jeremy. Ask your dad what I'm supposed to know because I DON'T KNOW!"

"_The bond, son. The soulmate bond. Damon can find her."_ I stare at him in disbelief. She had explained the bond to me last night a little bit. She told me basically that they were drawn to each other and understand each other on a level no one else ever will, basically they were meant to be together.

"Bonnie. The bond. Can Damon find Elena using the bond?"

She looks up at me puzzled. "No. Not unless they've…oh my God." She jumps up. "Mr. Gilbert. You can see things we can't, have they bonded themselves to each other?" She's talking to my dad, weird since she can't see him.

"_Yes."_ With that one word my dad is gone. Bonnie is staring at me.

"He said yes. Bonnie what's that mean? How can they bond themselves to each other?" Do I really want to know, not really. But, since we are currently trying to locate my sister I think I have a right to know.

"This changes things." She's pacing in front of the fire place. "Remember when Damon got bit by Tyler and went all crazy? He fed off Elena in his hallucinated state of mind." I nod my head, where is she going with this. "Well since the soulmate bond was already there they were already bonded, not to mention they loved each other way back then. Well that was, for lack of better wording, step one. Now, remember after Elena turned and Damon fed her his blood to try and help her?" I nod, Elena briefly told me about that. Still I don't see the point. "Well that was step two."

"Bonnie what's this got to do with anything? I don't get the point…"

"Stefan and Damon both told her that blood sharing is personal and it is. But for a vampire to bond to another vampire, a blood bond, that's never happened, well except once. In order for the blood bond to take…effect, for lack of words, the soulmate bond has to be there. Kind of like a foundation when you build a house. But back to the point, they both already had each other's blood in their veins, they were already bonding to each other, and I think that's one reason why the sire bond was stronger than any other sire bond in vampire history. They completed it though. I have no clue when but they bonded to each other. He can find her." She is still pacing but now she is smiling.

I'm still confused. "Bonnie, I don't get it. How did they complete the bond?"

"They fed off each other at the same time. Vampire usually only do that with their mates but it never bonds them together, like I said the soulmate bond has to be there for the blood bond to be there."

I stare at her. They did what? That's a little weird even for me, and I can see ghosts for Christ's sake! At that moment I hear the car pull in the driveway. I turn around as Damon kicks open the door.

"Shut up Stefan! You're phone is long gone and I don't care what you say you're going in the basement." Stefan is struggling to get out of his brothers grasp.

"Damon, I won't hurt you. Let me help find Elena, please."

"Hell no. You did try to kill me and you've been compelled. So until I kill the vampire that did this to you the basement is your new home."

Damon disappears as he vamps Stefan down towards the basement. He's back in 2 minutes and I can't help but go hug him. Why the hell I want to hug him I'm not completely sure, but I am definitely hugging him.

"Okay toddler. Get off me and let's find your sister. Witchy you better have a spell ready or something."

I answer him. "You can find her. You have the soulmate bond with her and you're blood bonded to her. You can find her Damon!" He looks at me like I'm crazy. Maybe I am. I don't care at this point.

"My what bond with her? And what the hell is a blood bond? Witchy, explain."

Bonnie starts to explain it to Damon and quite frankly he looks as dumbfounded and shocked as I was. That's when I realize that if 150 year old Damon didn't know about this, is it really that rare?

**Caroline's POV**

I've been watching Bonnie for days, which now lead me to the boardinghouse where I kept hidden outside in the trees. I could hear them, Elena was gone and they were trying to find her. I knew that they couldn't; there was no way they could find her. She has her hidden very well. I turn around in shock when I hear a car pull up.

"Damon please don't do this. I will help you. We can find Elena. I didn't mean to try and kill you." Stefan failed.

"Nice try Stefan. You're compelled and weak, you can't fight it and I don't necessarily want to die."

Damon wasn't supposed to come back. My attention then turned to inside where I heard yelling. Bonnie knew of a way to find Elena, I couldn't let that happen. But wait, Elena is my friend I should be in there helping them, ugh I can't though. She'll kill me, she told me that, "If anyone finds Elena before I want them to I will kill you Caroline." damnit! Wait, a soulmate bond? What the hell is that? It seems to be the key to everything so I turn and leave.

I'm far enough away from the house so I now pull out my cell phone. I hear it ring 5 times and then she picks up.

"Caroline? Is there a problem?"

No, I should say. I shouldn't tell her what I just heard, but I don't want to fucking die. "Yes. Stefan failed. Damon is back and they know how to find Elena. Something about a soulmate bond." I hear her growl and curse for what seems like forever. I should hang up. "You're not going to hurt Elena are you? I mean she's still my friend…"

"Caroline shut up." She says the words and I suddenly can't talk anymore. "Listen to me carefully. Forget you called me and go to the Salvatore's. Do whatever it takes but get Stefan out of the house and meet me in the woods. I will have Elena and we will go from there. Do you understand?"

No, hell no. "I understand, do whatever it takes to get Stefan to come with me." Why did I just say that? Who was I talking to? It must have been my mom.

I walk towards the boardinghouse and I can hear them talking. I knock on the door and Matt opens it. "Caroline?"

"I need to talk to Stefan." I'm here for him. We need to leave.

"He's busy." Matt tries to close the door but I stop him.

"Matt, I need to talk to Stefan. Now." I push him away and he lands with a thud 6 feet away.

I am suddenly surrounded. It's Damon I notice first. I can't let him get to me; he will try and hurt me. I grab Jeremy and put my arms around his neck, this freezes Damon. I know he won't let Jeremy get hurt. Why do I want to hurt Jeremy? I don't, but I need Stefan, and I have to do whatever is necessary to get to him. "I'll kill him Damon. I will." He's looking me in the eyes. I don't like it; he can see a lot when he looks at my eyes.

"No you won't Caroline. I know you won't. I'll take you to Stefan, just let Jeremy go."

I did it. I succeeded; he's taking me to Stefan. I let go of Jeremy and follow Damon towards the basement. "Thank you Damon. I really needed to talk to Stefan." He stops walking and turns sideways.

"He's right in there." He points towards the cell so I walk past him to get to the door.

"Stefan…" I open the door and I'm in pain. "Ah! What the hell?!"

"I'm sorry Caroline. I can't let you and Stefan be out around town when you're compelled." Damon. He vervained me.

I'm thrown into the cell and the door slams shut. This is not how it's supposed to go. Stefan and I are supposed to leave. I can't be under compulsion, can I? I start pacing the cell; Stefan is out cold on the cot in the corner. I failed. She will kill me. I can't die, I can't. I don't want too.

**Elena's POV**

Where am I? _"Elena."_ I'm dead; I have to be, because I should not be hearing that voice right now. _"Elena, wake up. She wants to help you but you have to wake up sweetheart."_ My mom. She wants me to wake up. Who is with me? Who wants to help me? I guess I must be starting to wake because I can hear new voices.

"Go upstairs and keep an eye out will you Travis!" I don't recognize that man's voice. Who is he and why would he want to help me?

"Asher, I need your help. The ropes are vervained, I can't touch them." Katherine. Memories come back. Matt was in the kitchen, someone was in my house, someone attacked me, and then I saw Katherine.

"Okay. I'll get them. She needs to wake up Kathy. Those witches won't be out for long." That man, Asher. He's a friend of Katherine's.

"I'm trying Asher. Come on Elena. Wake up, I'll get you back to Damon but you have to wake up. Come on girl! You're a fucking Petrova, wake your ass up!" I feel her slap me. I hear the growl that escapes my throat and then I open my eyes.

"Katherine. Why the hell did you attack me, and why are you letting me go?" It was her wasn't it?

"Well glad to see tough love still works on you. Listen we don't have a lot of time." She grabs me and pulls me as she sits down in the chair I was just in. What is she doing? "Tie me up Asher, quickly. Listen, Elena. Asher will take you back to town. He and Travis will get you there safely, no one will hurt you. When you get there, don't go anywhere. We want her to think I'm you okay? Are you following me?" She's taking my place, but why?

"What the hell Katherine? You hate me. And who is 'she', who took me from my house? I won't go with Asher or Travis I don't know them! Are you crazy?!"

She shakes her head. "Be quiet Elena. I'm doing this because this is what I do. I told you when I was in the tomb, I protect my family. Yes Elena, that means you. As for who took you, well she looks like us, but she's a bitch who needs to die. Asher and Travis will protect you." She hides a laugh. "You may find that Asher looks a great deal like someone you already know and love very much. So yes, you'll go with him. Now doppelganger, get out of here!" She kicks at my leg and I head to the stairs.

She's right, she did tell me that. She protects her family no matter what, just like me. I wait for this guy, Asher, who is supposed to come with me. I see him stand up and I have to grip the rail to keep from falling. "Damon?" This has to be a joke. That's Damon. I'd know him anywhere. Those blue eyes that are so gorgeous, I've lost myself in them more than once. The black hair, that's very soft but it doesn't look like it'd be soft.

"No. I'm Asher. Asher Montgomery." He holds out his hand. He's not Damon; his voice alone is very different. It's an octave higher. Now that I look more at his eyes, they aren't as blue as Damon's; I can see the green tint to them. But he looks, exactly like Damon that's impossible.

"Guess we aren't the only doppelgangers huh Elena?" Katherine. I'd all but forgotten her.

"It's impossible." I shake his hand and it feels nothing like Damon's. "He can't have a doppelganger. They only come around every…"

"150 years, yeah I know. Asher is the 3rd doppelganger, like you. But he will explain it all. GO!"

Asher starts walking quickly up the stairs and I can't help but follow. Damon has a doppelganger, wait she said 3rd does that mean Damon is a doppelganger? No, it can't be. He would know if he was, wouldn't he? We get upstairs and I can see where we are, the same house Rose kept me in when she took me to hand me over to Elijah. There's a werewolf there. I stop and tense up.

"It's okay Elena. That's Travis. He won't hurt you." Asher. He seems trustworthy so I just nod my head, I don't go any closer. The wolf doesn't transform into a human but instead surprises me completely. He comes up and picks me up so I'm on his back. Asher is laughing. "He senses that you're hungry and a bit weak. He's going to carry you so we can make it out before she gets back and notices anyone was here." That seems…nice. Strange considering werewolves hate vampire but it's nice.

"How will you keep up Asher? You're human, right?" He laughs again.

"Yes I am. But I'll have no problem keeping up. I'm stronger and faster than your normal human." I can feel the wolf laugh underneath me. He starts to run so I grab his hair so I don't fall off, he doesn't seem to care.

We are flying through the woods and Asher was right, he never loses us. They stop after 10 minutes when we reach a car. The wolf sets me down and goes back into the woods. Asher opens the backdoor for me and I get in. I see a boy emerge from the woods, he has blonde hair that is cut kind of like Stefan's, he's got green eyes and he looks very strong. He gets in the passenger seat as Asher gets in the driver's seat.

"Hi, Elena. I'm Travis." He turns around and holds out his hand. "I won't bite. I have nothing against vampires." I laugh and shake his hand.

"Hi, Travis. You're the first werewolf I've met who would carry a vampire through the woods without wanting to bite them."

"Yeah well I've always gone against the crowd. I like being unique. So, ready to go home and see…what was his name?" It's Asher who answers.

"Damon. Damon Salvatore. Her boyfriend Travis so quit flirting and turn around." I shoot him a thankful look in the rearview mirror.

Well at least I know one thing for sure. I have two new friends who I can trust, a vampire doppelganger who took my place, and at least an hour ride to figure out how I'm going to explain this all to Damon. This should be interesting.

This will definitely be something I want to capture on video, I wonder if Damon would let me.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Thank you for all the positive feedback. It helps keep me motivated to finish the story. It may be reaching a climax but it is far from over. Here is the newest chapter. I am working on the next one now. Please continue to let me know what you think.  
~Meg**_

* * *

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Damon's POV**

We've been at this for almost an hour. I've got a knife in my hand to keep up a steady flow of blood, a map on the table that is supposed to show me where Elena is, and all I see is a fucking blob of blood over Mystic Falls. "This witchy juju is not working Bonnie."

"Okay, try picturing Elena in your mind, maybe it will help. She's got to be in town somewhere." I glare at her but she is the witch so I'll go along with it.

I close my eyes and start to picture Elena. Her long beautiful brown hair that smells like strawberries. Her gorgeous big brown eyes that seem like they can see straight into my soul, which now according to Ms. I've got the power Bonnie, they can. Her soft, perfect skin that smells so sweet, just like her. The way she kisses me, like every time is the first time. The way she touches me and it sends electric sparks everywhere throughout my body. The way her perfectly round, perfectly plump breasts fit so snug in my hands, as if they were made just for me. The way she moans 'Damon' and 'I love you'.

"I think you're doing too good a job. Do you need a cold shower, dick? That's still my sister."

I open one eye and glare at Jeremy. I raise my hand and slap him in the head. "You ruined a perfectly good picture of Elena for me kid. Shut your mouth." Bonnie is laughing; I open my other eye and look at her. "So did it work?"

"No." She sighs. Not a good thing.

"I'm done with just sitting here! I need to know where she is and I need to know now!" I didn't mean to yell that loud but damnit Elena is gone and I need to find her!

"I'm right here Damon." I whirl around so fast that I get a little dizzy. It's her. Elena!

"Elena! Thank God!" I rush over to her and grab her so tight that if she were human she definitely wouldn't be able to breathe. "Are you okay? Where have you been? How'd you get here?"

"Slow down. I'll explain it all but I want you to meet someone. You need to sit down though okay?"

"Sit down? Elena I've been sitting for almost a fucking hour. Who do I have to meet?" There's something that's making her nervous I can tell.

"You'll over react. Bonnie can you do a spell that will keep him from leaving the living room?" She grabs my hand and pulls me back in the room with Jeremy and Bonnie who just nodded to Elena. She drops my hand and heads for the door. I shake my head and go to follow her. I can't get through. She can, but I can't.

"Elena what the hell is going on?" I need to know now! She just turns and shakes her head.

"You won't believe me if I tell you so I have to show you and you have to hear it from him. Jeremy, Bonnie, he might get a bit upset so it's up to you if you want to stay on that side of the barrier or this side." Jeremy moves to go with his sister.

"I can handle him Elena." Bonnie just sits down on the couch.

Elena heads out the door and I listen very carefully. There are two people.

"Asher, he's inside. I had my friend Bonnie put up a shield of sorts, he tends to overreact. He needs to hear it all from you, he won't believe me." Who the hell is Asher? What does he have to tell me?

"Travis, maybe you should just stay here. He's not as…tolerant of werewolves as I am." I growl as I run forward only to be kept back by the damned barrier.

"Elena fucking Gilbert you are out there with a werewolf! Get your ass in here now!" I yell but I know she can hear me.

"Damon calm down." She's back in the house and her eyes look fearful. She's scared. "Please Damon. Travis helped rescue me, so did Asher. But you need to meet Asher, Travis will stay outside. Please don't freak out until you hear everything from Asher, okay?" Those eyes, how can I tell her no, I can't. I nod my head. I trust her, I love her, I'd do anything for her, even stay calm and let some stranger tell me fucking story. She stepped outside and stepped back in with, holy shit.

My hair, my eyes…kind of, what the shit?! "What the hell?!" I launch forward only to meet the damn barrier again. "Who the hell are you and why are you with my girlfriend?!"

"I'm Asher Montgomery. I helped rescue Elena. I know who you are; you're Damon Salvatore, born in Mystic Falls in 1845 if I'm not mistaken, correct?" Shit, he knows my history. Why does he look like me? I nod, for once I'm too shocked to say anything, and this is a fucking first. "You were turned in 1864 by Katherine Pierce, or Katerina Petrova. You spend a century looking for a way to get her out a tomb that she lied about being in, met Elena and fell ass over head for her, am I still on the right page?"

"I'll ask one more time, who the hell are you?" He knows too much.

"I told you, Asher Montgomery." He steps towards me now, stupid move bud. "I'm you're doppelganger. Yes, your family line has them too, but I'm the 3rd doppelganger." He stops right on the other side of the barrier, smart man.

Wait, 3rd doppelganger, Elena is the 3rd Petrova doppelganger before her was Katherine and the original was Tatia. Wait, if he's the 3rd and looks like me then "I'm a doppelganger?" I stumble back and sit on the coffee table. He crosses the barrier. I don't move.

"Yes. The first was someone named Henry, he killed himself. Damon, I can explain why we are doppelgangers. Do you want me to?" I look at him. Is he fucking serious?

"Does a vampire eat people?" He looks back towards Elena. "It's sarcasm. Yes kid, explain." I motion towards a chair and he sits. I notice Elena sit on the step halfway in the barrier and halfway out. She gives me a beautiful smile, which says trust him, so I do.

"Well the Petrova's were created to break the hybrid spell, which you know. Well we were created at the same time, well our line of doppelgangers were. I guess we are kind of like a side effect of the spell. We have a purpose though as doppelgangers, each one is different though. The witch I spoke to said there would only ever be 3 in our bloodline, unlike the Petrova's who would keep producing. Each one of the 3 would be looking for 1 thing, and they would only find this one thing with one person, care to venture a guess who?" I look towards Elena and she nods.

"A Petrova doppelganger." I sigh, shit.

"Yes. One would be looking for family, one would be looking for love, and one would be looking for death. It's weird I know but it fits with everything I've heard so hear me out. I did some digging and found out the first one Henry, was alive when Tatia was, shortly after the spell was cast he found her and found out she was a vampire."

"Tatia is a what? She's dead. The Originals drank her blood and she is dead." What does he mean she's a vampire?

"No, she's a vampire. She hides well and keeps to herself but back to the story, I'll tell you what I know about her after I finish explaining." I nod and he keeps going. This sounds like one weird fucking story, but given my life, weird is pretty much normal. "From what I found about Henry is he lost all his family and he was all alone. I guess he hated being alone because when he found Tatia he literally begged her to kill him, she didn't. I'd venture to guess after hearing the stories I've heard about her that she wanted to turn him so he killed himself. He, the one, found death. Next there was you, you met Katherine. Then it turned all soap opera, so I'll summarize. She turned you; you thought you loved her, you now hate her. You had found the doppelganger and found neither family nor love. It had me confused, until I found out that you had met Elena, the next doppelganger. You fell for her, you found love and I bet for the first time in your life you felt like you were whole, right? Not a single piece missing from life."

Still looking at her I answer, "Yes." Damn witches, they picked who I'd fall in love with. Yet I can't be mad at them. I love Elena, I'd love her no matter what, and so instead of internally cursing them I find myself thanking them. "So I guess you found family? How'd that happen?" I'm curious now.

"I met Katherine. I sought her out and I cornered her. She became a…friend, then we found out that we actually got along once she stopped trying to act all queen of the world. Then today I met Elena and she's a pretty cool chick, you did good man. But now, I've met you and it feels like nothing else is missing. I know this is all very twilight zone, but it's real. But it's not the entire story either. I'm human, but I'm different." Where is he going now?

"Okay…what are you a hunter like little Gilbert over there?" I jerk my thumb towards Jeremy who is now sitting next to Elena with his jaw hitting the floor.

"No, I'm kind of like you. But not completely." Not possible. You can't have a vampire-human hybrid. I'm shaking my head, as he talks again. "I'm like Bonnie too. I can do magic. I don't know what it's called exactly. I can run as fast as you, I'm just as strong as you, I can do spells like Bonnie, I don't age, but I'm 100% human." This time it's my jaw that hits the floor. How the hell is this possible?

**Stefan's POV**

My brother locked me in the basement with Caroline, of all people. She doesn't talk so that's a good thing. I'm laying there with my eyes closed when I hear Elena come in. She's got people with her; I strain to hear their conversation. I listen to it all and my mind is spinning. Surely, I heard most of that wrong. My brother cannot be a doppelganger, and there is no such thing as a human-vampire-witch. I muse over all this in my head and come to one solution. My life, everyone's lives in Mystic Falls, is fucked up. Nothing is normal and nothing will probably ever be normal. Hell, they should have named the town Mystical Falls, the place where everything you think will never happen ACTUALLY happens! I don't realize I'm smiling until Caroline speaks to me.

"Something amusing about this Stefan?"

"Nope." I pop the P. "Just thinking. So you're compelled to huh? Klaus finally get tired of you rejecting him so he decided to compel your affections?" I laugh to myself.

"No. It's not Klaus. It's her." I sit bolt upright.

"Her? Her, who Caroline?" It can't possibly be the same vampire controlling me.

"I don't know her name. I haven't seen her really, just an outline. She always says I can't know who she is and I can't look at her."

I pat the cot beside me as I sit and make room for her. "I think it's the same person. I've never seen an outline though. Damon was asking me all these questions but I couldn't answer any because I'd never seen her. I've just heard her voice."

"I can try and describe her." I nod and she continues. "She's about as tall as me. Long hair, I don't know what color. She dresses kind of like a tomboy. Loose fitting jeans, t-shirts not loose but not super tight either, I always see her shoes so I know she prefers Vans or Converse."

"That's not a lot to go on." Something is there in my mind. I close my eyes and let my head fall back against the wall. Caroline keeps on talking, I think she's tired of the quiet, I don't mind.

"I didn't want to hurt Elena. I didn't want to hurt anyone. She said she'd kill me, and I don't want to die. I know that sounds selfish, but I don't. I know that I shouldn't do what she says; I knew I shouldn't have yelled at Elena that Damon didn't love her. I know I shouldn't have said that he wasn't capable of love because I can see it in his eyes, he loves her and he's crazy about her. I know that I shouldn't have been spying on Bonnie to see how powerful she is getting and then report it all back to her. I know that I shouldn't have tried to kill Jeremy earlier but I needed to get to you and she said do whatever it takes, I knew that I didn't want to hurt him but I knew Damon wouldn't let me so I did it. I hate myself Stefan. I want to tell her to go to hell and leave me alone. All she wants is Elena. Everything I hear is, Elena this, Elena that, or even once or twice Katherine this, Katherine that. It's so annoying!" It clicks.

The gear in my head clicks and my eyes pop open. I know who she is! "Damon!" I go to the door and I'm yelling for my brother. "Damon I know! Damon I know who it is! I've put it together!" He's at the door in record speed. I can see that Elena is behind him along with a boy, "Holy mother Mary he does look like you." I shake my head and Damon looks behind him.

"Yes, I know. He's pretty cool though."

"Damon I know who it is. Caroline was talking and I figured it out. I heard your conversation…"

"Eavesdropping little bro? Not very polite but go ahead."

I roll my eyes. "Only Originals can compel vampires. Caroline said she's seen an outline of the person compelling her and said she has long hair and is about as tall as her, dresses in loose jeans with t-shirts and vans or converse. Damon, we both know that the only vampires who can compel another vampire in town right now are Rebekah and Klaus. Klaus is a guy, and Rebekah always wears skin tight jeans with dressy tops and stilettos or high heel boots. Kol is dead, Finn is dead, and Elijah is…"

"In Barbados." Damon finishes. Apparently they must be pen pals or something now.

"Yeah, so what if there is an Original that was accidentally created? One, who loved two brothers, loved them enough their mother who was a witch used her as a sacrifice to make them vampires, but something went wrong and she didn't actually die. She became a vampire like them, she's kept her existence a secret but what if now seeing those two brothers, one of whom is falling in love with Caroline and one who is a good friend to Elena, move on is bringing her out. What if she wants to make her existence known now? He said it. He said that Tatia is alive. What if she's been watching Klaus and Elijah all this time and seeing Elijah find a friend in Elena, her doppelganger, and seeing Klaus slowly fall in love with Caroline is making her want to hurt them? You know everything is heightened as a vampire, so is jealousy. What if it's Tatia?"

I can see the understanding on his face as he stands there and listens to everything I say, so I continue. It's like I'm just putting a puzzle together and I can't stop talking.

"She would know that using Caroline, Elena's best friend and the object of Klaus's affections, would be a way to get to both of the brothers at once. Klaus would want to save Caroline whenever Tatia figured it was time to let him in on it. Elijah would come to help you and I save Elena if we asked, you know that. But then using me, I get it now. She's been watching Elena too. Everything she told me to do was to make sure Elena was left alone, unprotected. That's why she wanted me to kill you. She is planning something bigger than just revenge on two brothers. She wants Elena, Damon."

"She wants Katherine too." Caroline speaks up and comes to stand next to me. "I heard something once. She was talking to a witch, something about now that all of them are vampires only one can live or something like that. But from what I heard the witch say Elena, Katherine, and Tatia all have to be together and they first have to unbind them, whatever that means."

I look at her and look back at Damon. He's pale. He opens the door and motions for us to go upstairs. He's letting us out, but why?

"I've got a plan Stefan." He's pacing. He has his cell phone out and it typing a message furiously in it. "You won't like it." He turns to look at Bonnie. "Remember that spell I told you Emily used once back in 1864 on a man I saw at our house once?" She nods at him. "Well she was de-compelling him, and making it to where even without vervain he wouldn't be compelled again. I saw it, it was painful for the man he looked like he wanted to die at some times, but it worked. He was never compelled again. So…" He grabs Caroline and me and shoves us in the living room; with one motion to Bonnie she quickly mutters words.

"What the hell are you going to Damon?" Caroline is scared. She tries to run but she hits a barrier. There is no way out of the living room. "Damon, Bonnie, Elena, what is going on?"

I grab her arm and she looks at me. "Bonnie is going to do to us what Emily did to that man in 1864. She's going to take away the compulsion and make it to where no one can compel us again. But then what brother?"

He looks up at me. I know that look, that's his most dangerous look. "I won't let her hurt Elena. I won't let her take her again and I won't let her compel my brother again. So once you and Vampire Barbie are thoroughly de-compelled, you will go and pretend to do her bidding then tell us what she tells you. Don't shake your head Caroline. Elena is your best friend and I know you'll do it just like I know Stefan will. We will find Tatia's weakness and then we will kill her. If it's true only one doppelganger can live, well I'm sure as hell going to make sure that's Elena, no matter what I have to do."

Just then I hear the door open and Klaus walks in. He looks around and looks first at Damon, Elena, and Asher, then at Jeremy, Matt, and who I can only imagine is the werewolf Travis, before he finally looks at Caroline, Me and Bonnie. "Well well well. It seems like I've missed a lot these past few days from your text message Damon. Tell me what kind of test do you need me for?"

"Caroline and Stefan were compelled. Bonnie is going to do her witchy juju and de-compel them and make it impossible to compel them again. That's where you come in. I want you to try and compel them when she's done." Damon is laying all his cards on the table; does he want a truce or something?

"I see and why would I help you Damon? You made it to where I can't make hybrids again when you gave Elena a cure that was supposed to make her human but only took away a silly bond. I'm quite busy trying to find a way around that at the moment so if you'll excuse me." He starts to walk away and I see Damon's fists clinch.

"Tatia. It's Tatia who is doing this. She wants Elena dead, and I'm sure after that she'll have no problem killing Caroline."

This makes Klaus stop dead in his tracks. I know he would never let anything happen to Caroline or Elena, but most of all I know he still holds a place in his cold dead heart for Tatia. He turns around and I can see the confliction in his face. He looks at Caroline and I know what he's going to say before he says it.

"Okay Damon. I'll help you. I'll make Caroline safe, no one will hurt her."


	11. Chapter 11

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena. I'm not sure if I'll continue it but I've had it stuck in my head for a while so why not give it a shot?  
The main POV's will be Damon, Elena, and Stefan. You might get it from Jeremy or Caroline every now and then.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

**Damon's POV**

Klaus agreed to help but with one look at Caroline he had to get the hell out of dodge. I couldn't blame him, seeing the people we love hurt is never something we want to witness, which is why I found myself leaving too. Jeremy had left when I did to take Matt home and the wolf and his superhero doppelganger sidekick had left to go check on Katherine. I still don't get why they worry about her, I sure as hell don't. Elena hadn't come after me, and for once I was thankful, there was someone I needed to talk to and I didn't know how to in front of Elena. I stopped by the store and picked up just one daisy and continued on to the cemetery. I passed Ric, and Elena's parents. I had to talk to her; I had to tell her what has happened this year just like I had done every year on this day for the past 150 years.

"Well your eldest son is a doppelganger. Who would have thought huh?" I set the flower on her marker and sit on the grass with my legs crossed under me. My mom, it's her birthday and I always come to see her. "You won't believe it mom but Elena chose me after all. I wish you could have met her, you'd like her a lot." I'm avoiding the point of the visit, part of me doesn't want to voice it out loud but part of me does. I don't know who else I can tell my deepest thoughts to except my mother. I know I should be able to tell Elena but I don't know how. She doesn't know the whole story. "Stefan's okay mom. I'm taking care of him just like I promised." I can't keep the memory from coming back to me no matter how hard I try, I re-live it every year.

My mom is sitting in her room with a three week old Stefan; I walk in a crawl up to sit next to her. I'm just about to turn 4 and I'm excited my little brother is finally here. My mom has been sick though so I worry about her a lot, she's not allowed to leave her room and my dad has been mad at everyone for the past few weeks. She sets Stefan down next to her and pulls me into her lap. "Damon, I need to tell you what's happening." I look up at her and she's trying not to cry, I don't know why but she keeps talking before I can ask. "I'm about to go away Damon, but I need you to do something for me okay?"

"Kay mamma." I smile up at her, glad that I can help while she's on her trip. "Where you go to?" She doesn't answer and I see more tears that want to come but she holds them back.

"Somewhere that I can watch over you and your brother. I need you to promise to keep him safe. You're a big brother now and he's going to need you, more than you know. Can you do that for me?"

I nod a few times. "Yes mamma. I'll keep Stefan okay, I promise."

A few days later my mom is gone and everyone is sad. Dad doesn't talk to me and he doesn't look at Stefan. I remember my promise though and I keep it. I help our housekeeper take care of Stefan and I sleep in his room sometimes to keep him from crying at night. As the years pass I see us growing up, I kept that promise. My father's rage at sadness at losing my mother grew and with it came a temper; I took it all in stride. He didn't ever try to hurt Stefan but I never let him have the chance. When I saw Stefan do something that I knew dad wouldn't like I always did something worse, I took the severe punishment and let Stefan have the lesser punishment. This continued our whole lives, even after we died and became vampires. I don't think Stefan knows I watched him from a distance, but I did. I couldn't break the promise I made to my mother. As the years passed though I grew lonely, after watching so many bad things happen I guess there came a time that I didn't care anymore. That's when I flipped the switch, I broke the promise. I always found myself back talking to my mom one day out of the year and that was the one day I'd let myself feel, feel all the guilt at not knowing or caring what was happening to my brother, but mostly I felt like a failure. I didn't want my mother to be disappointed with me. Then came the time when I saw her on the road, Elena Gilbert. We had talked, I fell in love with her instantly, I wanted her but I also wanted to be a man that she deserved, and from that moment on I flipped the switch back on.

I lift my head up to stare at my mom's marker and I start to talk again. "I'm sorry mamma. Ti amo mamma. Stefan told me who was using him, it scares me. I don't know if I'm strong enough to protect him, or Elena." I jerk my head around to see Elena watching me. I take a deep breath, I don't know if she heard what I'd said but I found myself hoping she had. "Elena. You found me." Damn, my voice cracks.

She walks and sits down next to me. "Damon. I just wanted to say I love you. I'll let you talk with your mother." She gets up and starts to walk away, I have to stop her.

I get up fast and grab her waist. "Don't you want to meet my mother Elena?" I raise my eyebrows at her and lead her back to where I was sitting. I sit down and pull her into my lap. Just because I know she doesn't speak Italian that's how I start the introduction. "Mamma questa è la ragazza che mi ha fatto di nuovo cura, Elena." I laugh at the look she gives me. It feels good to laugh after my trip down memory lane.

"What did you say Damon?" She rolls her eyes now so I translate.

"I said, 'Mamma this is the girl who made me care again, Elena'. She's heard a lot about you. I talk about you very much." She blushes and it gives me an idea. I didn't know if Stefan ever told her about our life before Katherine but I was sure it wouldn't be the same. Stefan and I grew up in the same house but very differently. "Do you want to see something?" I have to show her.

She looks at me skeptically. "We aren't going to dig up your mom too are we?" She raises an eyebrow and it takes me a minute to get the joke. My father and the grimoire.

I roll my eyes. "Ti ho detto che era divertente." I stand up and hold out my hand, "No Elena. I want to show you where I grew up, maybe tell you a story or two." She takes my hand and says goodbye to my mother. As we walk to the car I start to get nervous, she's been to the old Salvatore place before with Stefan but I don't know if he ever showed her this part of the mansion. The part that is still there and that I still consider my home. My mind is still reeling from finding out I'm a doppelganger and that Tatia is after Elena but right now I'm too focused on showing Elena where the fondest memories of my childhood were made.

We dont talk as I drive to the old house but I can tell she's curious. "This might be different from when Stefan brought you here. I don't think he remembers this particular place." This causes her to look at me with quesioning eyes.

"Why wouldn't he remember?"

I answer as I park and point towards a dark cottage off in the distance, but still on the property. "Because Stefan only remembers living in the mansion that we were building and moved into when he was a month old. I was 4 when we moved into the mansion. It was nice but it wasn't like a home to me. My home was there." She's looking but she doesn't say anything. I think she thinks it might hurt me to talk about it, she's wrong as usual, so I get out and go open her door. "I want to show you my home Elena. You've heard Stefan's story, now I would like to tell you mine. If you want to hear it."

She nods and takes my hand lacing our fingers together. We walk to the cottage and after we're inside I turn on the light, she looks around for a moment and her breath hitches. I walk to see what she's looking at and it's the only portrait still in the house, it was taken before my mother had passed in her room, our last time together as a family. I sit down on the couch and start the story.

**Elena's POV**

I had been looking for Damon for hours, I could tell he still had a lot on his mind after everything Asher had told him. I wanted to talk to him. I found him in the cemetary talking to his mom. I did my best not to hear what he was saying, I knew it was a private moment and I didn't want to intrude. Even though I'm singing in my head I hear him say that he's scared he can't protect Stefan and I. Before consciously making the decision I step toward him and he turns to face me. "Elena. You found me." My heart breaks when his voice cracks, he'd been crying.

I quickly go to him, he will talk to me when he's ready I know this now. "Damon. I just wanted to say I love you. I'll let you talk with your mother." I get up to leave; I wouldn't mind talking to mine either while I'm here. I do miss her and I can't wait to tell her about how I finally found everything I was looking for in Damon.

Apparently he had other plans. His arms wrap around me and I can feel him smiling with his head on my shoulder, "Don't you want to meet my mother Elena?" Why am I nervous? I shake the thought from my mind and follow Damon back to where he was sitting. He pulls me onto his lap and starts speaking Italian. The only word I can pick up is my name. I don't know what look I give him but he's laughing at it. It must have been somewhere in between a 'Seriously Damon?' look and a 'You better not have said anything inappropriate!' look. I roll my eyes and decide to ask him to translate. "What did you say Damon?"

"I said, 'Mamma this is the girl who made me care again, Elena'. She's heard a lot about you. I talk about you very much." I made him care again? I can feel my cheeks start to get dangerously hot and I look at the grass around us. I can't stop thinking of what he would tell his mom about me, or how many times he's come to visit her. I didn't think either Stefan nor Damon came to see either parent very often. I can feel his eyes on me and I hear him take a very deep breath. "Do you want to see something?"

I can tell he's nervous and I can feel the tension radiating off of him. I try to lighten his mood a little by bringing up a memory of the last time we were at one of his parent's graves together. "We aren't going to dig up your mom too are we?" I look up at him and I'm shocked to see him confused. I watch as it takes my joke a minute to sink in, then he rolls his eyes and laughs.

He stands up and holds his hand out to me, I take it and he pulls me up to him. "Ti ho detto che era divertente." Again with the Italian, I don't even ask for a translation. He can keep that between his mom and himself. "No Elena. I want to show you where I grew up, maybe tell you a story or two." This suprises me. Damon's never been one to open up about his past, but he knows I've always been curious and I can see in his eyes that now he's ready to tell me.

We drive to the place where the old Salvatore mansion was and I remember coming here with Stefan after I first learned that he and Damon were vampires. I stare out the window quietly. I don't know what to say honestly, I've never heard any stories about their lives before Katherine but something about Damon's look when he asked me to come with him seemed to say I was about to hear a lot. "This might be different from when Stefan brought you here. I don't think he remembers this particular place."

I'm taken back by this statement. At first I'm confused, maybe he's taking me somewhere else entirely. I notice the road though before I turn to look at him, it's the same place I'm sure of it. "Why wouldn't he remember?" I glance back out the window as he parks but turn back to look at him when he answers me.

"Because Stefan only remembers living in the mansion that we were building and moved into when he was a month old. I was 4 when we moved into the mansion. It was nice but it wasn't like a home to me. My home was there." I follow where he is pointing and that's when I see it. A small cottage on the back of the property. No wonder I didn't see it before, it would be almost impossible for a human to see it from here, they'd have to be closer and Stefan didn't exactly give me a tour the last time we were here. Out of the corner of my eye I can see Damon's stil nervous, I look down at my hands. I'm curious yeah, but I don't want to cause him to hurt by bringing up old memories so I don't say anything just yet. I turn around alarmed when he gets out of the car, I watch him come and open my door and hold his hand out for me once again.

"I want to show you my home Elena. You've heard Stefan's story, now I would like to tell you mine. If you want to hear it." I take his hand lace our fingers together and give him a gentle squeeze. Before I know it we are at the cottage and he leads me inside and turns on the light. It's beautiful, and he's right it does feel like a home when you step into it. I look around and take everything in. It seems clean and some things are up to date so I assume Damon has been looking after it. He seems to hold this place close to his heart and the thought makes me smile. I look at the bookshelves and I find an old portrait, similar to others I've seen at the boardinghouse but this one makes my breath hitch. I see Mr. Salvatore with his arm around a woman who I would assume is Mrs. Salvatore, Damon's parents, then I see the two children. A little boy who is sitting next to his mother, I'd know him anywhere, he has the same look in his eye in the picture that I saw the morning after I told him I chose him, Damon. He has one hand placed on a little baby, like he's protecting him, I realize this must be Stefan. He sits down on the couch next to me and starts to tell me a story about the older boy in the picture.

I listen carefully as Damon tells me how he loves his family and promised his mom to look after Stefan. As the story goes on I realize that what I'd once told Stefan about the choices Damon's made was very true. Every move he's made in his life hasbeen for love, love for his mother, love for his brother, and love for me.

**Stefan's POV **

It wasn't a long process, getting de-compelled. It hurt like hell though. I never left Caroline's side and was suprised she took it as well as she did. She stayed with me while I went last and I tried to take it as well as she did. When it was over Klaus came back and tried to compel us but was unsuccessful, why didn't I know about this spell when he compelled me to hurt Elena? I could have used it back then.

After about an hour of planning Caroline and I set off in search of Tatia. "Let's try the place where I always met with her." I lead Caroline towards the quarry and into the woods where I'd gone before. We waited for a while but there was no sign that Tatia was coming or had even been there. Caroline pulls out her cell phone and tries to call her. I know that it won't work, even though I've never consciously met her I know she's not stupid.

We then go to check the three places Caroline had met her before. "You know it sucks having to play spy Stefan!" I laugh. Caroline is back.

I roll my eyes and shove her playfully, "Yeah well at least I get to be with the neurotic, control freak on crack rather than someone boring."

She looks at me and shoves me back. "Good for you then. I got stuck with skulking vampire boy. Tell me Stefan is this you're broody look or your it's Tuesday look?"

I roll my eyes. "You think you're so funny huh Forbes?" She smiles a very big smile and sticks her tongue out at me.

She is still walking even though I've stopped. I quickly grab her arm and yank her behind me. "Tatia." I don't try to pretend to not know who she is, it's clear that all games are off. She heard every word that Caroline and I had exchanged. I feel Caroline stiffen behind me but I don't let go of her and I don't look away from Tatia.

"Sweet Stefan." She smiles and I almost throw up on the spot. She looks very much like Elena and Katherine, it's nerve-wracking.

"Not so sweet. Where is Katherine?" I can't help but ask, I feel like I should be thanking her for taking Elena's place.

"Ah yes, Katerina. You will see her soon enough. I was very displeased to learn that she had let Elena go. I had big plans for young Elena." She takes a step forward and I push Caroline as I take a step backward.

"Sorry to have put a kink in your plans. You won't get to Elena though." Caroline hasn't said anything and I don't think she will until Tatia speaks to her directly.

"Hmm we shall see Stefan. It's a drag that you and pretty Caroline can't be compelled anymore. I really enjoyed hearing from the both of you. Tell me Caroline, how is my dear Niklaus doing?"

"Klaus is pretty pissed with you actually, for taking Elena." I glance at her and see that she shows no fear in talking with Tatia, that's a good thing.

"I'm sure that is not the only reason. Never the less I'm sure he will be delighted to see me again soon. I've missed him so." She looks away from us now and I hear someone approaching in the woods.

About 3 minutes later Katherine joins us along with, "Travis?!" I half yell with rage.

"Sorry Stefan. I'm a werewolf, we don't trust vampires. No matter how good they might seem." Suddenly I'm struck with fear, Asher. I know Damon just found out about him but something tells me he and Elena would be upset if something happened to him.

"Where is Asher?"

"I kept him safe. He's at Elena's house with her brother. I was just told to let Asher take Elena to Damon and see what happened and then come back and tell Tatia."

She had compelled him. Damn, she's good. "You…" I look at Tatia now as I start to ask my question.

"Yes dear Stefan, I compelled him when I caught him standing guard when Katerina rescued Elena. Now for my message to be delivered."

Before I can move she runs to Travis and rips his heart out then grabs Katherine. I don't feel myself moving forward until Caroline pulls me back.

"Katherine!" I yell as I see the stake Tatia pulls out her back pocket. I try to break Caroline's hold but my attempts are useless. She can't kill my Katherine! It's at that moment that I realize that all this time I've only ever loved her. "I love you Katherine!" She looks at me and smiles. Then she's gone.

I fall to the ground and Caroline catches me. I'm sobbing harder than ever before as I crawl to Katherine's body. I look up at Tatia and she looks back at me with nothing but hate in her eyes.

"Tell your dear brother and his Elena this message Stefan." She gets on the ground across from me and says, "And then there were two."


	12. Chapter 12

_**Thanks again for your feedback. The new chapter is here and I hope you're ready for a big plot twist. Let me know what you think!  
~Meg**_

* * *

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 12

**Caroline's POV**

Katherine was gone, I should be happy right? She had done so many things to the people I care about and in the town that I would die to protect, but right now as I held Stefan while he mourned for the woman he lost I couldn't help but feel rage like I'd never felt before. I don't know how long we sat there but I knew we couldn't stay much longer. "Stefan. We should take her to the house." When he turned to look at me I barely recognized him.

"We'll bury her. There is no use in taking her to a house she can't live in anymore, she's dead." His voice held no emotion whatsoever. He was broken and I don't think anyone could really fix him. He threw the stake from her chest and scooped her up.

We walked to the cemetery in quiet. Stefan was different. I kept looking for signs that he would flip the switch and turn off his humanity but it never showed. Instead he just looked like he didn't care anymore, like he wanted to crawl in the grave with her and never come out. He told me he didn't want help to bury her but I told him I wasn't going to leave him.

As I watched Stefan dig deeper and deeper I couldn't help but think of Tati's message. "And then there were two." I knew she'd make a move on Elena soon, I saw the desperation in her eyes. I also saw the jealousy and hatred she had for me. Perhaps I could use that to save Elena, or at least give her time to get out of town and go into hiding with Damon and Jeremy. I had assumed Stefan would go back to the boarding house but instead he just laid on the ground next to where he had buried Katherine. "I'll come back to check on you in a while okay?" He didn't say anything he just nodded weakly.

I knew what I had to do, I had to tell Tatia the truth. I hadn't admitted it to anyone but I had to now. I had to tell her that I love Klaus just as much as he loves me. I wish I could tell him before I face her but I know he'd stop me. I would do this for Elena, I owed it to her to try and save her life. She had risked so much for me over the years and I'd been so horrible to her recently. I knew that she would be okay, she had Damon and Jeremy to look after her. I knew that Tatia would probably torture me, or use me to hurt Klaus, but I'd take it all. I'd even accept death if she wanted to kill me.

It wasn't hard to track her since I'd picked up her scent in the woods. I was surprised at the fact it hadn't led me to the same house Elena said she had been held in. Maybe she kept switching but whatever the reason didn't matter to me right now. I was a woman on a mission and I wasn't going to fail.

I had thought she'd have more brains than to stay at the house where the tomb vampires took up their residence not long ago. Yet, it did have everything she required. It was out of the way and long since had been abandoned. It had a basement, perfect for holding people. I walked up to the house and I could hear her inside. "Tatia. I have a message for you, you bitch." This got her outside faster than I'd imagined.

"Caroline? I was not expecting you. What a surprise. What is your message dear?"

I scowled at her and let my features change as I brought out the monster in me. I rushed to her and held her against the wall by her throat. "Stay the hell away from MY Niklaus!" I braced myself for a fight. I was flung backwards and I hit the ground with a hard thud.

"It's never you Caroline. Matt didn't want you. Damon didn't want you. Tyler left you. Who would ever want a pathetic, slutty thing like you?"

I took the insults. She didn't know me and I knew she was wrong. I was prepared to fight back when I heard a voice I didn't expect.

"You leave her the hell alone Tatia!" Klaus. He came from behind me and held her firmly to the ground. "Don't you ever look at her again! And you better pray there is a God because if I ever hear you say anything that is untrue about Caroline again I swear I will rip you apart limb from limb without blinking! Am I clear?" I could hear the vehemence in his voice. He had no love for her anymore.

As I watched I saw fear in her face, she was afraid of him. She didn't speak she just nodded her head and the next thing I know is I'm gone. The house is gone and I'm being rushed quickly away. Once we are a safe distance away I look up at Klaus and see something I never thought I'd ever see. He was crying. "Klaus. I..." I was cut off when he grabbed me and kissed me. Everything else melted away and it was just him and me there in the moment.

When he finally pulled back he pulled me tight against his chest. "I thought I'd lost you Caroline. I can't lose you. I know why you went there, I will help you. I promise you, we will keep Elena safe okay?" I look up and see that he really means what he's saying. I nod my head and pull him closer to me. Maybe Elena was right, maybe people do change. I never thought that Klaus had a speck of his humanity left but in this moment I knew he had more than a speck.

"You saved me." I mutter against his chest and I feel him sigh.

"Physically. You saved me Caroline. In every way." We sank to the ground and I knew that things would work out. We'd find a way to keep our friends safe.

**Damon's POV**

I liked opening up to Elena. Don't get me wrong it was awkward at first, I'd never let anyone that close before but I liked that we had things in common, we understand each other in a way other people never have. I probably won't let anyone this close to me again but at least I know I'll always have her and that's all I'll ever need. Before we could get back in the car though I had gotten a call from Jeremy. He sounded worried about something so I walked far enough away from Elena in hopes to keep bad things from her. "Damon, Travis was working with her. He was compelled or something I don't know but if she could get to him then..."

"She can get to anyone. Don't worry, Elena is with me she's fine." I reassure him and I walk back to her.

She's already in the car waiting for me so I get in and quickly drive us back home. Lucky for us no one is here and we are alone, now perhaps I can welcome her home properly. "I never did get to show you how glad I am that you're home." I see her look at me and she has the same idea I do. I quickly pull her to me and kiss her hard. Her tongue invades my mouth with hunger and passion and pure need. I have no problem returning her kiss with one just as hungry and passionate. We are in my room with the door locked within seconds. She rips open my shirt and throws me on the bed, she's feisty tonight. I can't complain. As much as I love gentle Elena, I love feisty Elena just as much. Her lips are quickly on mine again and I take this moment to rip off the dress she was wearing.

I flip her over and settle myself on top as my hands skim their way down her body. I finally reach her panties and rip them off. My fingers find their way to that special spot that I know drives her wild. I thrust two of my fingers inside her and smile as I hear her gasp in pleasure. I keep up a steady rhythm until I feel her almost ready to let go, then I insert one more finger causing her to stretch more and I start thrusting harder and faster. I feel her hands as they claw into my back when she finds her release. I ease my fingers out of her and pull my mouth away from hers. Her eyes are filled with passion and desire. I find myself being flipped over and I don't fight her, I know what is coming next.

I watch as she makes her way down my body with her mouth. She reaches her destination and I can't suppress the moan that escapes my throat as she takes me in her mouth. She moves slow and teasingly at first and then picks up the speed. I grip her arms and she brings her hands up and laces our fingers together. I'm right on the edge and she takes me deeper into her mouth and moves even faster. "Elena." I moan as I reach my climax. I grab her face and bring her back up to me.

Damn the effect this woman has on me. I can never get enough of her. I pull her to me and she eases me inside her. This has got to be my most favorite place in the world, inside Elena Gilbert. We have no problem keeping our tongues intertwined as we pick up speed. We both want to go harder and faster. She rolls over and pulls me on top of her. I pull her as close to me as I can and it still seems no where close enough. I put my hands on the pillows as I brace myself and thrust as hard as I can into her as we both let go, together.

I can't sleep, she had fallen asleep hours ago in my arms but I can't find sleep. I just stare at her, I often do this. I am still so taken with how beautiful she is. I swear I can't tell her enough, she makes me want to shout it from every rooftop in the world. That is when I make my final decision. I know that Elena loves me and wants to be with me just as much as I with her. I've been thinking about this for a while. I know she's always wanted to have a family and while I can't give her children, I know one thing I can give her. Me.

I set her down gently on the bed and quietly get up and make my way to my dresser. I open the drawer where my shirts are and dig until I reach the bottom. I open the hidden compartment and pull out the one item it holds, my mothers wedding band. I doubt Stefan knows I have it, hell I doubt my father even knew I had taken it. I had gone back into the house before I left town when I saw Stefan had turned off his humanity. I had wanted to take some piece of my mother with me as I left so I quickly went to my fathers room. I knew where he had kept the band and I knew as her eldest son she would have wanted me to have it. I never thought I'd find a girl worthy of wearing it, not even Katherine. Yet as I held it in my hand and looked at Elena I couldn't think of anyone more worthy. I got dressed and went to my desk to write her a note.

LENA-  
WENT TO SEE JEREMY.  
BE BACK SOON.  
I LOVE YOU.  
-D

Call me old fashioned but I wanted to ask permission for her hand. Since her father was not here to give his blessing I needed Jeremy's. He and I hadn't always seen eye to eye but something had changed.

He had stood by his sister when she was sired to me, he had known her feelings were real, and I think he had even come to care about me. I admit it, I do have a soft spot for the little Gilbert. He's not a bad kid and he's a good friend when you need one. I don't bother to knock on the door he's used to me popping up whenever I feel like it.

After I let myself in I walk upstairs and find him on his computer. "Hey Jeremy. Up late for a kid aren't you?" He looks up startled but quickly composes himself.

"Up late for an old guy aren't you Damon?" I half laugh. Kid's got a sense of humor.

"I need to ask you something. Can we talk?"

He nods, "Yeah sure. What is it?"

I take a seat at his desk chair and turn to face him. "I know this isn't what people typically do now days but here I go. I want to marry your sister and I want you to give her away. I need to know you approve before I ask her." He stares at me for a moment and I wonder if he's gone into shock. He seems to be searching my face and I guess he likes what he found.

"I thought you'd already asked her but yeah Damon. I'd like to have you as a big brother, even if you are an old man." He smirks at me and holds out his hand.

I take it and quickly get him in a headlock, it's not hurting him it's more of a playful thing. "Just remember kiddo, this old man can kick your ass any day." We both laugh as we walk downstairs. Jeremy is okay with me marrying Elena. Now I just have to work up the courage to ask her.

**Elena's POV**

I try to call out for Damon but I can't make a sound. I feel a hand clasp firmly over my mouth and I feel myself pass out. I don't know what is going on or where I am. I wake up and I'm chained up hanging from the ceiling. I blink my eyes but I can't see anything, it's too dark. I don't hear any voices and it scares me. Did someone take me again? I try to get my wrists free but it burns. "Ahh!" I scream as I feel the vervain enter my bloodstream. Suddenly a door opens and I see someone walk in.

"You need to be quiet young doppelganger. We can't have anyone hearing you." I don't recognize this man but I can tell he's a witch. I can feel it.

"Where am I? Where's Damon?"

"He is fine." He sits in a chair and picks up a book, Wuthering Heights. "Now if you don't cooperate and shut your mouth I will put you down." He opens it and starts reading.

I stay quiet but I keep looking for ways out. I can't pull myself free and I feel weak. I need to hunt. I hear a noise come from the corner and I look up in alarm. The witch looks up too and I feel him gathering for power.

"If you touch her I'll rip your throat out." Elijah. I look at him and see that is getting to his feet inside a cage. He is looking at me and I see the concern in his eyes.

"I'm okay Elijah."

He just nods his head. He is glaring at the witch. "Come on Arthur. You know me, I won't hurt you if you let Elena go. She doesn't deserve this." I see the man stand up and walk towards the cage.

"Maybe you're right. But right now you need to keep your mouth shut Elijah. I don't care about you anymore and I sure as hell don't care about her."

I see the anger flair up in his eyes. He doesn't answer though. I see him lock eyes with me and I know he's telling me it will be okay. I feel a little safer with Elijah here. I can't help but want to call out for Damon. I know I've been warned but that doesn't stop me. I gather all my breath and with one good scream yell, "DAMON!"

I'm immediately struck with a pain that makes me feel like I'm on fire. I try to grab my head and remember that my arms are chained. I hear Elijah scream out but I can't see anything. I fall into darkness once again.

I see Damon. He looks happy. I smile but then I see him go to someone else. I notice her, it's Rebekah. I try to move forward but I can't. I try to scream but I can't. Suddenly the surroundings change and I'm in the woods. It's the same as the dream I had before. I'm running and I turn to face my attacker as Damon rushes in front of me. I scream out for him to stop but I'm too late. He's dead. He's not with me anymore. He left me. The scene starts to blur and I slowly open my eyes.

I blink and I can see Elijah in front of me. He seems to have gotten out of the cage somehow. I shake my head and I realize I'm wrong. He didn't get out of it, I got put in it. He grabs my face and looks me in the eyes. "I give you my word Elena I won't let that happen." Is he talking about my dream?

"What are you talking about Elijah?"

"I saw it Elena. I give you my word I will try my best to not let any harm come to you or Damon. Are you okay?"

I stretch everything and slowly nod my head. He saw the dream, so it had to be just a dream. Damon was out there somewhere but where? Was he looking for me? Did he want to find me? Was he with Stefan? I shook my head as I let the tears fall from my eyes. I feel myself fall to my knees as I sob quietly. I feel Elijah wrap his arms around me and I lean into him and let myself cry. I'm so afraid right now, but I know that Elijah won't let me get hurt so I take what little comfort I can in that fact alone.

I just hope that Damon is out there searching for me and that he finds me soon.


	13. Chapter 13

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

Chapter 13

**Stefan's POV**

Katherine is gone. I couldn't save her. As I'm laying here in the part of the cemetery where no one goes, where I had recently buried Katherine, I couldn't help but think about all the things I should have done differently. I had fallen in love with Katherine in 1864, it was the kind of love that consumed you and once you had it you never wanted to let it go. But I did let it go. I let her go, I shouldn't have. I should have been doing what Damon had been doing, been looking for her. I was scared to look though. I knew Katherine better than she thought I did. I knew that she would find me when and if she wanted to be found. I should have admitted a long time ago that I had never fallen out of love with Katherine. I should have told her that.

Everything that she had said when she got back to town was true. I hadn't moved on from her. I was dating Elena yes, but I can't deny anymore that the things I loved about Elena were traits that Katherine had. I feel horrible for not admitting this sooner and I know I can't admit any of it to anyone out loud because then they'd hate me, probably just as much as I hate myself. Katherine had said she came back to town for me, I should have believed her. Now she's gone and I can't do a thing about it. I want to turn it off, flip the switch, not feel anything, but I know I can't. I know it's not what she would want. She would want me to keep my humanity, she always told me she loved that I kept my humanity. I know she would want me to protect Elena, so I will. Katherine may not have gotten along with Elena but I know that to Katherine family always came first, so I know that she died for the right reason, to protect her family. I wouldn't let her death be for nothing. I would make sure the Petrova bloodline was still alive, even if it was as a vampire.

With that determination in mind I set off towards the boardinghouse. I see Damon's car is still gone so I assume that he and Elena are staying with Jeremy tonight. I walk in and head to my room but something feels wrong. I can feel that someone is in the house with me, maybe one of them is here after all. I walk up to Damon's room and the door is open, which automatically alerts me that something is wrong because they always keep it shut. I look inside and find Elena sitting at the desk writing a note, except I know for a fact that woman is NOT Elena. Since her chair was facing the door I could see her eyes, they gave her away. Elena had many different looks but not once had she ever had this one. This woman looked proud and dangerous. I caught her scent as she stood up and I didn'd hesitate to let the monster in me take over.

I rush in the room and pin her down on the floor by her throat. "Tatia! What the hell are you doing here?"

She smiles up at me and throws me off of her. I land in the bathroom and quickly get back on my feet. "I'm delivering another message my dear Stefan."

I look around for Elena but she's no where to be found. "In Damon's bedroom? What message is it, I'll make sure he gets it."

She shakes her head and jumps out the window without answering. I run to chase her but she's gone. "Damn it!" I knew Elena was in danger now, I had to warn Damon.

As I was leaving the room I passed his desk and saw not one but two notes. The first one was for Elena from Damon, he had gone to see Jeremy, so at least now I knew where to go. The next note, the one I assume Tatia had written made me see nothing but red in front of me.

DAMON-  
THANK YOU FOR LAST NIGHT.  
I WILL MAKE SURE ELENA KNOWS HOW GOOD YOU TREAT HER ENEMIES.  
MAYBE WE CAN DO THAT AGAIN SOMETIME,  
YOU ARE A FANTASTIC LOVER.  
-TATIA

"That BITCH!" I yell as I throw the desk across the room. She pretended to be Elena and slept with my brother! "You will pay for this Tatia!"

I shoved the note in my pocket and ran quickly down the stairs and out the door. I left my car, it wouldn't be fast enough. I had to get to Jeremy's now. I had to tell Damon and we had to figure out where Elena is. I know now for a fact that Tatia has her, how else could she have pretended to be Elena. Another thing that crosses my mind is that she had to have played the part well if Damon couldn't tell it wasn't Elena.

I don't waste the time to knock I just throw the door open. "Jeremy! Damon!" I call their names but no one answers. I hear someone running towards the stairs so I start up and run into Asher.

"Thank God you're here Stefan! I need your help, I have no clue what is going on!" He sounds panicked.

I follow him to Jeremy's room and I'm instantly at my brothers side. He and Jeremy are both out cold. I can hear Jeremy's heart beat and I can hear Damon's slower heart beat so I know they are alive, but why won't they wake up? "How long have they been out Asher?" I turn to look at him and he shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't know. Maybe, 15 minutes. I was at in the spare room playing one of Jeremy's computer games and all of a sudden I hear them both scream bloody murder. I ran in and Jeremy was already out but Damon was...well it looked like he was trying to claw his heart out. I tried restraining him but he was hurting himself, so I had to do something. I snapped his neck, I know he will heal but what the hell went wrong?"

This sounded strange, Damon would never try to do that, at least not of his own free will. "Magic. It has to be magic. I'll call Bonnie, maybe she can help."

Within minutes I hear Bonnie outside and go to meet her. She looks horrified, that instantly tells me she knows whats happening. She looks at them both and turns to talk to me while setting up candles throughout the room.

"Stefan. Where is Elena?"

"I don't know." I answer her honestly. "Bonnie what's wrong?" When her eyes meet mine I'm not sure I want to know anymore.

"Whoever has Elena linked her and Jeremy together, like she was linked with Ric. What happens to one happens to the other."

I nod. "Damon..."

She sighs and turns to face me completely. "Did he tell you about the soulmate bond?" Oh God. I nod my head, she continues. "Well when they bound themselves to each other by blood it linked them too Stefan, but stronger than the linking that any witch could do. He's feeling everything she is feeling but it's probably 10 times worse."

No. This can't be happening. "Can you break the links so that they don't feel it?" She nods but the way she's looking at Damon, there's something that she's hiding. "Bonnie. What is it?"

"Stefan." She takes a deep breath and grabs my hand. "To help Damon I'd have to break their bond. I'd have to break their blood bond and their soulmate bond."

"Bonnie there has to be another way!" I pick up the grimoirs but before I can open them she starts talking again.

"That's not it Stefan. There will be...after effects if I break their bond." I look up at her in alarm. Effects? Like what? I know she see's the questions in my eyes but she doesn't break our eye contact. "He won't remember her Stefan. He won't remember meeting her and he won't remember falling in love with her. It will be as if they had never met."

I shook my head. They wouldn't want that, but I know that Elena wouldn't want Damon to be in pain. I know that Damon would, after some convincing, go through with what she wanted. But I couldn't do this to them. They had just got each other back, that's when it hit me. Bonnie only said Damon wouldn't remember, "Elena would remember. Wouldn't she Bonnie?" She doesn't need to say anything I can see the truth in her eyes. Damon wouldn't remember falling in love with Elena, caring about her, but Elena would remember it all.

That's when I heard the gasp. Damon had regained consciousness.

"What's wrong Stefan?" I looked at him and for the first time in our lives, I didn't know what to tell him.

**Damon's POV**

I was wrestling with Jeremy and all of a sudden I felt the fire. It was hot, too hot. It was everywhere. I couldn't get away. Jeremy. I had to get him away from the fire. I looked for him but I couldn't see him, I could hear him screaming though. I don't know when I started screaming but I had to get away. It was consuming me. I started to try to claw my way out of the flames when I felt pressure on my arms. I fought against it but my attempts were useless. Suddenly everything was black. I didn't feel anything anymore.

I could see pictures. They weren't clear. It was like watching the fuzzy channels on the TV. I saw me, and Rebekah. Why would I fucking be with Barbie Klaus? It's no secret we love to hate each other. Then the picture changes. Elena! I try to scream out to her but I don't know if she can hear me or see me. She's running and she's scared. I want to help her. I want to protect her. Then the picture freezes. She's not moving anymore and neither am I.

I don't know how long everything stays frozen but then I see movement. Jeremy is moving towards her too. I hear the stake before I see it. It's heading right for Elena, but I know it won't hit her. Jeremy has leaped forward and unless I act now, I know it will hit him and Elena would lose him forever. I remember telling her that she wouldn't lose me, I want to keep that promise. But I won't let her lose her brother. I gather my strength and leap. I push Jeremy back but I twisted the wrong way. I feel the stake hit my heart as I fall to the ground. I can see Elena's lips moving but I can't hear her. Then it's black again.

I open my eyes and gasp. I look around and I'm still in Jeremy's room. There was no fire, it was a dream or hallucination or something, but something had happened. Stefan is there with Bonnie and Asher. They look like someone died, or is about to. I wonder briefly if I can talk or if this is another dream. "What's wrong Stefan?" It takes him a moment to answer. It's bad.

"Damon. Elena is missing."

She's at the boardinghouse, isn't she? "No she isn't Stefan. I was with her last night, she's probably still sleeping."

He pulls a note out of his pocket. "No Damon. It wasn't Elena." He hands me the paper and I read it.

Shit! I quickly recap last nights events. Had there been something off about Elena, or now I know it was Tatia? She had been playful but Elena had a playful side too. I was almost positive that I would have noticed if I wasn't inside Elena. As I keep our, well it's not love making if it's not Elena, so our sex show on repeat in my head I go over each detail. It hits me. The eyes. Her eyes, I should have noticed last night. After it was over, they looked proud and spiteful and happy but I know what was missing now. They never once showed the love. Elena's eyes whether she was being playful, gentle, or sexy as hell always showed love.

I get up and run out to the backyard. I need air. I find myself on my knees throwing up. I feel disgusted with myself. Elena's going to hate me. I should have known. How can I love her so much and not be able to tell her and Tatia from each other? I'm a horrible son of a bitch. I deserve to burn in those flames I thought were engulfing me. I feel Stefan behind me so I turn to face him.

"Damon. There's something I have to tell you."

"Well spit it out brother. It can't possibly make me feel any worse than I do now."

He sits down on the grass and starts to speak. "The witch working with Tatia linked Elena and Jeremy together. But you and Elena are also linked together by the bond. You both felt what Elena was feeling but for you it was 10 times worse. Bonnie can break the links but Damon, for you she'll have to break the bond between you and Elena."

What could be wrong with that? I can't keep being in pain if I need to find her. "Okay she can do it then." Is he crying? "Stefan. There's something else. What is it?"

"You won't remember Damon."

What the fuck does he mean I won't remember, what could I forget? "Remember what Stefan?"

"Elena. You won't remember her at all. You won't remember you love her."

Shit. I don't realize I'm crying until I feel Stefan pull me in for a hug. I can't do it. I'd rather feel the pain. I need to remember her. I need to remember that I love her, that I want to marry her. I need to remember that she loves me. "I can't do it Stefan. I know it's selfish but I need to remember." Stefan doesn't speak, I don't think he knows what to say. This is the closest we've been in a long time. It feels like we are brothers again.

"I'll make sure you remember. You can trust me Damon." Jeremy.

I turn to look at him. If anyone can help me remember Elena it's him. I took a bullet in the head for the kid, and even though I think he's afraid to admit it, he got back at Kol for compelling me by killing me. I know he cares, and I know I can trust him. I get up and walk to him. There is one sure fire way that he can make me remember Elena. The ring. I take it out of my pocket and hand it to him.

"Give this to me afterward and tell me to give it to the one person who is worthy of it. It's always been your sister and it always will be." He nods.

I go inside and find Bonnie in the living room. I know she doesn't want to do this but I know Elena is her best friend and she'll always do what Elena would want her to. I sit on the couch next to her. She's doubting herself I can tell. I put my arm around her shoulders and give her my signature Salvatore smile.

"I'm trusting you Bonnie Bennett. Let's do this thing witchy."

**Jeremy's POV**

I have to help him. I can't let him forget. I have to do it for Elena, but I also owe it to Damon. He doesn't know it but he brought my sister back to life, and he brought us closer together. After our parents died we both changed. She lost her...spunk. She was broken, she didn't understand why she lived and they didn't. She put on an act for everyone else but she couldn't for me. She needed something to make her feel alive. As for me, I gave up. I turned to drugs and pushed everyone out, especially Elena. I blamed her. I told her it was her fault and I was a horrible brother.

Along the way something changed in Elena. At first I thought it was Stefan, but then I saw her with Damon and I knew. He put the life back in her eyes. She was able to be herself with him. I never told them this but when I read her diary it wasn't just the stuff about Vicki that I read. Yes, I read that she had Damon erase my memories to help me cope with Vicki's death, but I also read what she felt for him. She was denying it but as her brother I was excellent at reading between the lines. She was falling in love with him.

He brought us closer together. After everything that we'd been through he had always made sure of one thing. He always made sure we had each other. He did anything and everything to make sure I had Elena, and even though he had always called me her annoying little brother, he always made sure Elena had me. No matter how much it might cost him, in the end he wanted Elena to have what she deserves, her family.

So that is why I'll help him remember. I keep a tight hold of the ring he gave me. It was no surprise to me that Damon wants to marry Elena. I had spent a lot of time with Damon recently and while everyone else was convinced that her feelings were just a sire bond I knew different. I had never met the Damon that she talked about in her diary, but ever since Elena turned I began to. He doesn't know I know this and I don't think she knows either, but he's never left her side. Every night since she woke up after drowning he'd sneak in her window.

At first I didn't get it but then I saw it. He didn't want this for her. He never really wanted her to be a vampire but he'd help her through it. I saw how he looked at her and how he helped her. He never let her go too far. I was afraid that I'd lost her after she killed Connor but he'd saved her yet again. That's when I knew for sure that this was the kind of love everyone wanted.

I was brought out of my memories when I heard Damon wake up from the spell. I slowly got up and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"Damon? Do you know who I am?"

He raises an eyebrow at me. "Jeremy Gilbert. What do you want?" His voice is cold. It's not the way it usually sounds when he's talking to me.

"I want to help you." I hold out the ring. "We're going to be family once you give this to my sister, remember?" He doesn't take it from me but he looks at me skeptically.

"Right. And who is your sister?"

"Elena. You love her."

"Hmph. Right. Give me the ring Gilbert."

I shake my head. "Not yet. You told me something I had to tell you."

"Then tell me and give me the damn ring!"

"Give it to the girl who you've always known is worthy of it. Elena."

He looks at me and shakes his head. Before I can pull it back he grabs my wrist and pry's the ring away from me. He grabs me by my throat and holds me in the air in front of him. "Listen carefully. No one is worthy of this ring and I don't know any Elena. Now get the hell out of my face." He drops me and I fall to the ground. Stefan is there beside me and we watch Damon walk out of the house.

"I have to help him remember Stefan. He's family and I know he still loves Elena. I know it's in there somewhere."

He nods as he looks out the door. "We'll find a way Jeremy. They're still soulmates. And we both know Elena won't give up on him, and he won't give up on her even if he doesn't know who she is I believe he will still feel for her somewhere inside him."

I know he's right. I just wish I didn't have to see the pain in Damon's eyes. I know that no one else saw it but I did, and it killed me. I wish I could have taken his place. I wish I could have shown him his memories, then it occurs to me that I can. I run upstairs and grab her diary. I know Elena won't care and I know he wants to remember.

I set off towards the one place I know he'll be.

Wickery Bridge.


	14. Chapter 14

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. The lyrics are from .  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

_**This chapter will be from 2 POV's. Damon and Elena. The song will act as a guide kind of to know who's point of view it is. Let me know what you think! :)**_

* * *

_-Gravity-_

_Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long.  
No matter what I say or do, I'll still feel you here til the moment I'm gone.  
You hold me without touch.  
You keep me without chains.  
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love and not feel your reign._

Damon Salvatore didn't fall in love, not anymore. He'd been hurt too many times. He was broken and beyond repair. Yet something about the Gilbert boy had him re-thinking things, maybe he was wrong. The boy had said he was in love with a girl, Elena. That hadn't been a surprise he'd been with many girls, but he never knew their families. The boy had his mothers ring, how the hell did he get it? He said I told him to give it to the one girl who I knew was worthy of it, no one ever would be. No one knew the real Damon. He'd never let anyone that close. But all this isn't what had him confused, it was the simple fact that he had choked the boy and the boy showed no fear, only sadness but it wasn't for him, the boy was sad for Damon. "Why do I feel sorry for yelling at the Gilbert kid and choking him? I'm not supposed to care. I'm not supposed to want to go back to the house and tell him I'm sorry." He hadn't expected anyone to answer his musings but someone did and it stopped him dead in his tracks.

"_Damon. Let me help you my little boy."_

She was gone. He would never be able to be her little boy again. She shouldn't be talking to him. He shook his head and kept walking, he didn't really know where he was going. He knew there was something he should remember. He knew Katherine wasn't in a fucking tomb and that she never loved him. So why had he stuck around this little fucking town for so long?

"_Come with me son. I'm here. I want to help you."_

He was going crazy. He ignored the voice again. He stopped at the bridge, why had he come here? He had no memories here, did he? He ran his hands through his head. If anyone would know if he was really in love it would be his annoying, in touch with his humanity brother Stefan. He pulled out his phone and unlocked it and had it not been for his vampire reflexes he would have dropped it. The background, it was him and a girl. She was beautiful. Something stirred in his head, a memory that he tried desperately to come to him. He couldn't. They were both smiling, he had his arm around her and she was laying on his chest. He quickly went to his photo album and was shocked again. They all had her in them. He'd never taken pictures before, but apparently he did now. "Who is she? She looks like she loves me."

"_She does. You love her too. She saved you baby boy."_

This time he spun around just to prove to himself that no one would be there but he was wrong. He saw her. "Mamma." He sat against the rail on the bridge. "You died, how are you here?"

"_I'm here to help you son. I'm here because you need me. Let me show you something. Take my hand."_

He looks at her outstretched hand and hesitated. He took her hand and pictures came to him. It was the girl, she was asleep while a man, Elijah the name came to him, was fighting another man who he didn't recognize at all, but could sense that he was a witch. Just then he saw two blonde girls and another man fly down the stairs to help the fight. Names came to him, Caroline was the girl who effortlessly went to the girl in the pictures from his phone and picked her up. Rebekah was the other blonde who was grabbing every weapon from the small room. Klaus was the man who had knocked out the witch. They all were out of the room within seconds. He blinked and was still on the bridge. He looked at his mom and asked the question that he needed answered. "She was just asleep right? She'll wake up right?"

"_I don't know son. Lets see some more shall we?"_

He didn't know why but he was crying. He had to know if she was hurt or if she would be okay. She had seemed so still, like she was dieing.

_You loved me cause I'm fragile.  
When I thought that I was strong.  
But you touch me for a little while and all my fragile strength is gone.  
Set me free, leave me be, I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity.  
Here I am and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be.  
But your on to me and all over me._

I remember falling asleep. I remember Elijah telling me he would do whatever it takes to protect Damon and I. I felt like I should have woken up by now though. I tried to open my eyes but they felt so heavy. I tried to move my arms, my legs, nothing was working. Something is wrong. I felt arms pick me up but I couldn't tell whose they were. Was I going to die now? Was I already dead? I felt wind as the person who carried me ran, where were they taking me? I picked up sounds, there was more than one person with me.

"What happened to her Elijah?" This is a voice I would know anywhere, Caroline Forbes. She had to be the one carrying me, her voice was the closest.

"We were talking, she had woken up and we were talking. Then all of a sudden she couldn't talk anymore. It was like her voice had left her, then she just passed out. I tried everything I could to wake her but I could her heart slow even more than usual. I knew I was losing her, I had to do something. I overpowered Arthur, found a cell phone and made a desperate call to Niklaus for help."

Had Klaus come to help them? Who else was here? I had passed out? My heart beat would be slow now, I was a vampire but if he said it was slower than a vampires, could I be dieing?

"I called the witch. She said to bring her to her house." Why would Rebekah help them find out what is wrong with her?

They had stopped talking and even though her eyes were closed she could tell the vampires that were with her were worried about her. I heard the door being kicked open and I felt being laid on a couch. Elijah went into his explanation again, this time to Bonnie. He says something that he hadn't told Caroline. "I've only seen this once before, when a witch broke a blood bond between myself and a girl I once loved. Bonnie, did you break a bond like that?" No, Bonnie please say no. Damon! What was happening to him, was he okay?

"I had to. Damon was feeling the pain she was going through but it was worse for him. I didn't think the spell would affect Elena. Elijah what's happening to her?"

Bonnie had broken it because Damon was in pain. Good, that's what I would have wanted her to do.

"There is consequences Bonnie! Damon won't remember Elena and Elena she'll..." He takes a deep breath. "She'll die Bonnie. She was bound to Damon, once you broke that, because it was Damon's blood that changed her you took away the one thing that kept her from dieing when she drowned in the river."

I'm dieing. Damon doesn't remember me. No, we had to have more time than this. It was never right before but now it was. I'm not ready to let go of that.

"There is a way we can reverse it though." He was talking again. He knew how to reverse it, if I was able to move I'd probably jump up and hug him. "A sacrifice. A life for a life."

No! I tried to hard to scream. I knew what he'd do. He'd sacrifice himself. I couldn't let him do that, he was too good of a person to die.

"I'll do it." Was I hallucinating? Rebekah is willing to die just so I'll be alive? "I've lived a long time, been in love more times than I can remember but I never found my Damon. She deserves to be able to hold on to that love, so I'm ready. Do it now Bonnie." I never thought I'd feel anything but hate for Rebekah but in this moment I felt like her friend.

I don't know how long it took but I was eventually able to open my eyes. I eased myself up and looked around. Bonnie, Elijah, Caroline, and Klaus were all there. Rebekah was there. I got up and walked to the other couch in the living room. "Thank you Rebekah. I'm sorry for everything. I wish we could have been real friends." That's when I made my decision. I wouldn't have let her die for nothing. I would go after Damon. I would help him remember.

"Damon doesn't remember me does he Bonnie?" I turn to look at her and I can see it in her eyes.

"No. He left about half an hour ago. Jeremy and Stefan went after him."

I nodded. I walked out the door, I knew none of them would follow me. They all knew what I myself knew. Damon didn't need Jeremy or Stefan, he needed me. He told me that I made him care again, I was the reason that he wanted to be a better man. I would find him and I would remind him. I wouldn't give up on him. I owed him that. I set off to the one place I knew that he'd be.

Wickery Bridge.

_I live here on my knees,  
I try to make you see that you're everything I think I need here on the ground.  
But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go.  
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down._

He couldn't believe what he just saw. It had to all be true. She had almost died because of a bond he had told the witch to break. He needed to find her. Wait, "Mom?", he looked around. No one was here. His mom had vanished just as easily as she had shown up. She had helped him though. He knew one thing for sure now, he felt for the girl. He may not remember her, or falling in love with her, or the days and nights they'd spent together but he knew that what he was feeling now wasn't a lie. It wasn't something that could just vanish with a spell. It was love. He was in love and it was with the girl that used to be bound to him. He was in love with Elena, and he had to find her.

She wasn't going to let anything stop her. She would find Damon and somehow she would make him remember. They had a bond that not even a spell could break. They had loved each other even before they had met each other. They were the same in so many ways. They were both the oldest siblings, they had both lost their parents too young and had to grow up too fast, they both would do anything to protect their family, but most of all they both had wanted the same thing in life. To find that one person that was worth living for. She stopped suddenly when she was Jeremy sitting on the hood of his car. He explained that he was going after Damon but his car had gotten a flat tire and he sprained his ankle while trying to change it. He gave her a book, her diary, he told her to go find Damon and that Stefan was on his way to help him out with the tire. She ran as fast as she could towards the bridge, her diary was the key. She would let Damon read it and he would remember.

"Damon." I stood there confident that he would remember. I wouldn't give up on him. I'd save him just like he's always saved me.

"Elena?" I turned to look at her determined to remember everything. I wouldn't give up on her. I wouldn't give up hope.

I took a cautious step toward him and he came to meet me. "I know you don't remember Damon. I want to help you remember." I hold my diary out to him. Every memory is in here. Every time we talked, every touch, every emotion I've ever felt for him is in the book he now holds. "Read it. It's all there. It hasn't always been easy, but it's been worth it. You're my best friend Damon and I love you. I'll wait as long as I have to for you to remember." I form a plan in my head and take a few steps back. "When you're done I want you meet me where it all began." He looks at me but before he can answer I leave. He'll come to me. I know he will. I walk to the road where we first met and I sit on the ground and wait for him.

Her diary? She wants me to read her diary and then meet her where it all began. I sit down and slowly open the book. She was right, it wasn't always easy. I've done so many things to hurt her. I lashed out at her so many times. I've hurt people that she loves. She should fucking hate me, but she doesn't. She loves me. The more I read the more I start to remember. She's never given up on me, she's never left me. Suddenly it all comes back to me. I haven't finished reading the diary but I don't need to. I haven't really read much at all except that I wreaked havoc on this town, turned someone that was her brothers boyfriend, rescued her from a car crash and took her to Georgia. But I remember now. She helped me get into the tomb, and she was there for the fallout. She was there when Katherine came back to town and she was there when I was dieing from a werewolf bite. She's never left me. I know where I have to meet her. I get up and start the walk to the road where I had told her everything I'd wanted out of life and what I would find out later was everything she'd also wanted out of life.

It wasn't a long walk but it felt like forever. I saw her sitting there waiting for me, right in the spot where I'd once told her to forget meeting me. I smile as I step towards her, I know exactly what to say to her.

I didn't know how long I'd been sitting there but it hadn't been long. I was prepared to wait the whole night if that's what it took but I heard him walking towards me.

"You want a love that consumes you. Passion, adventure and even a little danger." I turn around as I hear him say the words that he had said the first night we met. He's smiling that smile that only I know. He's here and he remembers.

"And what do you want Damon?" I raise my eyebrows at him and suddenly I'm swept off my feet when he rushes to me and picks me up.

"You. Only you Elena." His lips meet mine with the same passion and love that they always have. No spell can take him away from me.

"Lets go home Damon. I'm sure everyone is still worried that you're lost in some twilight zone or something."

He laughs and we start the walk back towards my house.

_You're keeping me down.  
You're on to me, and all over...  
Something always brings me back to you.  
It never takes too long._

As we get closer to the house I can hear the voices inside, they're yelling. I turn to look at Damon and he shrugs his shoulders, "I don't know Lena, I've been gone a while. Lets go find out whats up now." I allow him to drag me inside and everyone turns to look at me. I scan the room and the same look is in everyone's eyes, fear and anger. I do a double scan of the room and realize Jeremy isn't there. Elijah, Caroline, Bonnie, Klaus, Stefan and even Asher are all there but Jeremy isn't. I look at Stefan, "Where's Jeremy? He said you were going to help him with his car."

He walks slowly towards me and grabs my shoulders. "We're going to find him Elena. I promise. Just don't freak out okay?"

I can feel Damon hold on even tighter to my hand as I take the piece of paper that Stefan holds out to me. It was written quickly but there is no denying who it was from.

THATS TWICE NOW ELENA.  
THIS IS THE LAST TIME.  
THIS IS WAR.  
MAKE YOUR MOVE, I'VE MADE MINE.

Tatia. She was right. This is war.


	15. Chapter 15

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. The lyrics are from .  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

* * *

_**This will be just from Elena's POV.  
Be ready for a big fight, surprising deaths, and a twist of an ending!  
Let me know what you think by leaving comments!  
~Meg**_

* * *

**Elena's POV**

_-This is war-_

_A warning to the people,  
The good and the evil,  
This is war.  
To the soldier, the civilian,  
The martyr, the victim,  
This is war._

She had Jeremy. I was furious. I turned on the spot to leave only to be held back by Damon. "Let go of me Damon! She has my brother! I'll kill her!" I try my best to get away from him but he is much older and stronger than me.

"I know Elena! I know! But you need to feed first to have your strength and we need a plan. We have to be smarter than her Elena!"

He lets me go and walks me towards the kitchen. Stefan and Elijah are already talking about the best place to lead her. Klaus and Caroline are talking about who to send to the house to lure her out. Asher has left to go find more help. Damon and I quickly join in the conversations and after about an hour we have a plan laid out.

Caroline and I head towards the house Caroline said she confronted Tatia at before. I saw the wolf walking in the woods, protecting us but remaining unseen, Tyler. He and Haley had came over with Matt and said they would do whatever we told them had to be done. Things have been tense with them ever since they had turned against us while we were looking for the cure. I had been the one who convinced everyone else to let them help.

As we got closer to the house Tyler came to walk beside me and Haley had come to walk next to Caroline. We stopped right on the edge of the woods, just far enough away that Tatia couldn't hear us, but we could see the house. Haley had shifted back to her human form and walked up to the door. I stayed where I was while Tyler went to right towards the basement and Caroline went left towards the backdoor. Step one was working perfect until I heard someone come up behind me. I whirled around and instantly felt the plan starting to fall apart.

"Jer? You're supposed to be inside. What..."

"Elena! You have to stop them! I tried to fight her but I couldn't. She has, well had Meredith and she fed me Damon's blood."

No. She couldn't, she wouldn't turn him! That's when I saw it, the blood in his eyes. He had completed the transition. "Tyler! Caroline!" I turned and ran towards the house but I was too late. Tyler was currently helping Caroline dodge stake after stake. I looked around for Haley and found her just outside the door, Tatia held her heart in her hand. Tyler looked up at me and I nodded my head. We had to run now, we knew that she would follow. I grabbed Jeremy and Tyler grabbed Caroline by the shirt. We hauled ass towards the quarry and all I could do was pray that Damon and Klaus were ready.

_It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie,  
The moment to live and the moment to die,  
The moment to fight, the moment to fight,  
To fight, to fight, to fight!  
_

_To the right, To the left,  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
From the last to the first_

We ran quickly from the house but we were met with more obstacles than we had expected. We knew she'd have people to fight with her but we were stopped a short ways into the woods by at least 10 vampires. She'd been expecting us, she had made an army, and she wasn't going to stop until we were all dead. This had been the move she had wrote about, not taking Jeremy, but this...her army. I whirled back around but there were more coming from behind us. We were surrounded. I saw Tyler and Caroline exchange one glance and they both lunged forward. Jeremy tensed next to me, I only had one option left I had to let him fight with us. I handed him the stake that was in my back pocket and nodded at him.

With my fangs barred , fueled by an amount of rage I'd never felt before I lunged at the vampires behind us. I hadn't fought this many vampires before but I'd been trained by Damon and Ric. I let their words come back to. I quickly grabbed one by the neck and ripped with all my might. His head went flying and I felt arms lock around mine. I kicked my attacker in the knee, while grabbing his arms and pulling. His arms came off easily and he was on his knees in a heartbeat. I sank my hand into his chest and sent his heart flying behind me.

Jeremy was holding his own against the vampires and I couldn't help but feel proud of him. In a matter of minutes we'd managed to dismember, stake, and kill every vampire that came at us. I grabbed my lighter as Tyler, Caroline, and Jeremy put every body part and heart in a pile, I tossed it and the bodies quickly burned. We continued to run towards the quarry, in a matter of minutes we were standing in one of the circles Bonnie had drawn in the dirt. The flames came up and we knew we were protected. Damon and Klaus were waiting in the woods behind us armed with crossbows and stakes. Stefan along with Elijah, Asher and Matt were waiting deeper in the woods armed with grenades and stakes of their, own. Now we just had to wait for Tatia to arrive. Luckily, the wait wasn't long.

_A warning to the prophet,  
The liar, the honest,  
This is war._

_To the leader, the pariah,  
The victor, the messiah,  
This is war._

She stepped into the clearing but she wasn't alone. "Matt!" I lunged forward only to be shot backwards by the flames.

"Break the witches protection spell, NOW!" Her eyes never left mine as she spoke to her witch.

I briefly met Bonnie's gaze and shook my head. Step two was working as we'd hoped except she wasn't supposed to have Matt. I leaned back on my feet and was in a crouching position within seconds. Once the fire went down I lunged for Matt. I grabbed his arm and I heard his shoulder dislocate. I threw him behind me and heard the thud as he hit the tree. I didn't see the wolves heading for me until it was too late. I felt the bite on my arm. I was suddenly hit very hard in my side and went flying across the clearing. Tyler had come and pushed me out of the way, but he was fighting a losing battle. The 3 wolves quickly overpowered him and he was gone.

I felt an arm wrap around my shoulders and felt the blood being forced through my lives. "Drink now Elena!" Klaus. Once I'd had enough to heal the bite we both took off towards the clearing. More vampires had shown up and it looked like a horrible nightmare. We were losing. She was one step ahead of us again. I knew we had to abandon the plans we made and just fight until either she was dead or we all were. Damon was currently struggling to pull vampires off of Jeremy. Caroline was dodging werewolves left and right. Bonnie was locked in a battle with Arthur. I looked around when I heard Matt scream. Tatia had thrown Matt right into a group of vampires.

I ran and lunged to get him out. There was so much blood everywhere. I grabbed vampire after vampire and ripped their heads off. One got a hold of me and I couldn't shake him. I could feel him bite me and I felt the blood being drained from my body. I couldn't fight back and I could no longer protect Matt. My legs were being pinned down and my arms were being clawed at. I couldn't yell out for help. I stopped fighting for a minute and tried to gather all my strength to buck the vampire off but I was unsuccessful again. I knew I was going to die, there was nothing I could do. I heard the voice before I registered who it came from, "Stronzo! Scendere mia sorella!" Stefan!

The vampire was thrown off of me and Damon collided with him in midair. Damon rips his heart out and falls to the ground. I look around and I suddenly don't want to fight anymore. Klaus had grabbed Caroline and ran deeper into the forest. Stefan followed suit with Jeremy. Matt was dead, and Elijah just had his heart ripped out by Tatia. Damon had grabbed me and flung me into the trees just as a stake collided with the tree behind me. "Run Elena! For fucks sake RUN!" I turn and run deeper into the woods. Damon picks up the stake and follows me.

_To the right, to the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
From the last to the first_

_To the right, to the left  
We will fight to the death!  
To the edge of the earth  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world  
It's a brave new world!_

I don't stop running until I no longer hear Damon behind me. I can hear Klaus and Caroline fighting their own battle and I can hear Jeremy yelling for me. I'm flung the ground and I feel my arm about to be pulled off when Stefan comes to my rescue again. He tackles Tatia to the ground and is staked in his arm and flung into a tree. I pick up a tree branch and lunge for her heart but she grabs it from me and I find the branch in my leg. I growl at her as I rip it out and lunge again. This time she grabs the stake and aims it for my heart but I'm pushed out of the way by one last time by Stefan. "NO!" I scream as I see the stake pierce his heart. With his last breath he looks at me and yells,"Run Elena!"

With tears in my eyes I turn and run as fast as I can away. We underestimated her. We've lost so many people. Haley, Tyler, Matt, and Stefan. I ran into Jeremy and we both landed on the ground. I quickly grabbed his hand and continued to run. I could hear her catching up to us. "Jer, you have run. You have to leave okay? Get out of the woods and go somewhere safe!" I drop his hand and turn and run back towards Tatia.

I collide with her and sink my fangs into her throat. I hook my hands into claws and start clawing her arms. She regains the upper hand quickly and throws me off.

"That was a bitch move Elena!"

She lunges at me and I quickly kick her chest and send her flying into a tree. I brace myself for her impact but I feel the stake pierce my right leg and she breaks it off. I growl at her and grab her arm and pull. It comes off easily, I lean back on my feet ready to spring at her again but I'm knocked off balance by..."Jeremy! No!"

I try to grab him but she grabs his throat and throws him at least 50 feet away to my right. She quickly picks up the tree branch she used to stab my leg and pounces me again. I'm taken by surprise and I can feel the tip of the branch scrape against my heart. I grab her wrists and try to stop her but I'm not strong enough. She's going to kill me.

"There can only be one doppelganger Elena Gilbert. I'm faster, stronger, and older than you little girl. You never stood a chance!"

She's cut off when a stake hits her shoulder. "You may be older and stronger you bitch but she has one thing you never will." Damon, he's here. He comes and pounces on her. He grabs the stake from hear shoulder and holds it over her heart, "She has me and I WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE HER!" He starts to push the stake but she grabs his wrist and flips him over and is now on top of him.

"And you are the crazy impulsive DEAD vampire!"

I lunge forward, "Damon! No!" I'm too late. She pushes the stake and it pierces his heart. I run to him and take his body in my arms. "Damon, no! I love you! Don't leave me please!" I beg him but I can see as he starts to turn gray and slips further away from me. He looks me in my eyes and I can see he's crying.

"I love you Elena." He's gone.

I can't do this without him. I can't be without Damon. But I won't let him have died for nothing. I grab the stake from his heart and flip the switch. "Tatia you'll die for this!"

I don't care who I have to kill, I will kill Tatia. With my humanity shut off, I feel nothing. Nothing but the desire to hunt the one vampire who killed my Damon. I let the monster take over and take off after her. I see the witch Bonnie is still fighting with and I sink my fangs into his neck and bleed him dry. I push Bonnie out of my way and hear her hit a tree with a thud. I hear her arm break but I don't care. She's just a stupid human who is in the way of me getting the revenge I need.

I find Tatia's scent again and start heading north, she's running out of town. I won't let her leave. I barely remember pushing Klaus and Caroline out of my way as they try to stop me. I find her at the edge of the woods near the road and I throw my stake hard. It hits her in the back of the knee and she drops instantly. I run up and grab it, I rip her arms off and pin her legs underneath me. "You bitch!" I stab her everywhere I can reach, purposely avoiding her heart. She deserves to suffer a slow and painful death. For turning my brother into a monster. For Tyler. For Haley. For Elijah. For Matt. For Stefan. And for Damon.

"Elena."

I snap my head up and look at Jeremy. He lays Damon on the ground and with hands held up he starts to approach me. I see Klaus, Caroline, and Bonnie behind him.

"Damon's here." The switch flips back on.

I shake my head and with tears in my eyes tell him, "Damon's dead. She fucking killed him!" I try to flip the switch again but it won't budge.

"I know." He's on his knees next to me. "I know Lena. But he's here. He wants you to know he loves you and you aren't meant to be this person. He wants you to keep your feelings with you Lena."

I look up at him and I can see the tears in his eyes. I nod my head and turn back to Tatia.

"This is for Damon." I say the words as I clench my teeth together and drive the stake as hard as I can into her heart.

Jeremy's arms are instantly around me and I sob uncontrollably into his chest. He's all I have left. Damon is gone and nothing can bring him back this time. I slowly stand up only to fall to my knees again. Jeremy picks me up and sets me down next to Damon.

I grab onto his shirt and continue to feel every ounce of pain, and heartbreak. I should have done something. I should have tried to save him. Damon is dead and it's all because of me. He died to save me. I know what I have to do. With the last bit of strength I have I grab the stake from Jeremy's back pocket and position it over my heart. "I can't be without you Damon." I try to push it in but I can't. It's like someone is pulling it from the other direction.

"Lena stop! Damon's still here!" I ignore Jeremy. Damon's gone. I need to be with him. I need to be able to see him. All of a sudden the stake is pulled from my hands and flung across the road. I find myself lying on my back with Jeremy on top of me. "I know what you're feeling Lena! I feel it too okay! I didn't want him to die either. He was like my brother but I won't let you kill yourself. I need you Lena. Let me be here for you." I stop trying to fight him and I just nod.

He holds me against his chest and we both sob. Bonnie walks up and bends down next to us. "I think there might be a way to bring him back." I pull back from Jeremy and look up at her. Bring him back? You can't reverse death...can you?

_I do believe in the light  
Raise your hands into the sky  
The fight is done, the war is won  
Lift your hands toward the sun  
Toward the sun  
Toward the sun  
Toward the sun _

_The war is won._

* * *

_**If you're wondering what Stefan said in Italian before he threw the vampire off Elena here is the translation. "Asshole! Get off my sister!"**_


	16. Chapter 16

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
I don't own the song. The lyrics are from .  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

* * *

_**Thank you for all the feedback on the last chapter. I cried along with all of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much if not more.  
Let me know what you think!  
This will be from Damon's POV.  
There will be twists and turns and heartfelt confessions.  
~Meg**_

* * *

**Damon's POV**

-Wherever you will go-

So lately, I've been wonderin  
Who will be there to take my place  
When I'm gone, you'll need love  
To light the shadows on your face  
If a great wave should fall  
It would fall upon us all  
And between the sand and stone  
Could you make it on your own

If I could, then I would  
I'll go wherever you will go  
Way up high or down low  
I'll go wherever you will go

"_Damon! No!" I tried my hardest to fight back but I wasn't strong enough. I felt the wood in my heart and I knew I was dying. I felt Elena's arms around me and I saw the tears in her eyes, I'd broken my promise. I was leaving her. "I love you Elena." It was all I could say, it was the reason I had died. I was doing what I'd always done, protect Elena. I was taken over by the light and saw every moment I'd spent with Elena flash before my eyes, my heart broke a million times over. 4 months, that's how long we'd shared the love and happiness that we both had always wanted, and now it was over. The light disappeared and I saw Elena again, this time she was crying while still clinging my body. I tried to hold her but I couldn't, we were in two different worlds now and we wouldn't be able to exist together again. That's when I saw it happen._

"_No Elena!" I'd tried to scream to her but I was too late, she'd flipped the switch. I saw the look in her eyes and it was too much to bear. I heard Stefan's words that he'd spoken after Elena killed Conner come back to me, "She's not supposed to be this person Damon. I don't want her to be.". I had disagreed with him then but now I agreed with him, she wasn't supposed to be this person, she was supposed to remember what it was like to be human. I took chase after her and I was trying desperately to think of something I could do. I saw her throw Bonnie, I jumped to catch her and luckily I was able to soften her blow against the tree just a little bit. I took off after my love again, this time I noticed I wasn't alone._

"Damon."

_Jeremy. "You can see me Gilbert?" He just nodded. We were at the street now. "Elena. Love please, not like this." I quickly went to her and tried again to wrap my arms around her but I went through her like air._

"Elena. Damon's here."

_My heart broke when I saw her look at Jeremy, the mention of my name had been enough to turn the switch back on. My love was in trouble and I knew I had to try again to protect her. "I love you Elena. You aren't meant to be this person. Keep your feelings for me close to heart and know I'm keeping mine close to mine." I knelt down beside her and cried with her. After she had yelled to him that I was dead he relayed my message to her. "This is for Damon." With those words my love had avenged my death and broke down in her brothers arms. I walk with Jeremy as he carries her back to my body and I lay next to her, I won't leave her not now, not ever._

_I see her grab the stake from his pocket and position it on her heart, I leap up and grab the opposite end. "Damn you Elena! You won't be a fucking martyr! You've got too much to keep living for!" I pull with all my might and FINALLY I feel like I'm actually doing something. I pull back but I know I can't hold it for much longer. "Jeremy get your newly vampire ass over here and stop your fucking sister!" I glare at him and he takes the hint. The stake goes flying across the road and he pins her to the ground beneath him. Good boy._

"Lena stop! Damon's still here! I know what you're feeling Lena! I feel it too okay! I didn't want him to die either. He was like my brother but I won't let you kill yourself. I need you Lena. Let me be here for you."

"_Yes! For fucks sake Elena live for your brother at least!" His words take me a few moments to comprehend. He thought of me as a brother, family? I know we'd gotten close and I know he'd given me his okay to marry her but he'd never told me I meant that much to him. "Jeremy, I'm sorry." He doesn't make any move to let me know he'd heard the words. "Jeremy?...Gilbert?...Jeremy!" Shit! He can't hear me anymore. I pace back and forth pushing with all might to try and break back through this invisible wall between our worlds. It's no use. Bonnie has joined them now but I can't hear what she's telling them, why the hell do they looked so fucking shocked? _

"_Damon." The voice, Asher. I turn around and he's standing there behind me._

"_Asher. You died too I guess?"_

"_Actually, no. I'm not who you think I am, you haven't figured it out?" He gives me this curious look and I can't help but laugh. He's fucking hilarious. He had to be dead to be talking to me I was a ghost._

"_Uh, figured what out? That you're a freak of nature who can apparently come and go between both worlds?"_

"_Damon. Think about it. You're a doppelganger, I told you I was one, for that to be true you would have had to have a sibling who DIDN'T turn into a vampire. Someone to keep the Salvatore bloodline, well keep it 100%, you didn't did you?" Now that he mentioned it no, not 100%. There had been that maid that dad knocked up but her kids had always lived in the boardinghouse and their line ended with Zach. None of them ever looked like me and they were only 50% Salvatore blood. "I'm not your doppelganger. I'm not even a doppelganger." What the hell is he getting at? Why did he lie to me? That fucking look on his face, it's as if I've seen it before, not on his face but someone else's._

"_No fucking way. It's impossible!" I start to back away and I run into someone. "Stefan." I turn around and see my brother looking from me to Asher, or if I'm giving in to believing what he's told me, my fucking father!_

"_Brother. It's true." _

_I shake my head and keep backing away. They've fucking lost it! I look back to where Asher stood only to see none other than Giuseppe Salvatore staring back at me. We are still on the road but Elena and Jeremy have vanished._

"_Damon. Listen, I didn't believe it at first but he had help to come back. Emily helped him Damon!"_

"_Emily Bennett? Per l'amor di Stefan Gods! He was one of the reasons she died Stefan! Why the fuck would she help him come back? Oh wait I know! TO KILL ME! Hell he probably helped Tatia and that's why no one saw him the whole time we were fighting for our fucking lives!" I can't believe Stefan believed his crap. Emily would never help our father, hell she wouldn't even help us or help Bonnie help us. _

"_I know Damon. She did it for Elena! Let her tell you herself!" He points a finger behind me but before I turn around I hear her voice._

"_It's true Damon Salvatore. Now I want to help you. I can send you back."_

_She can fucking what? I turn to face her and it's not just her. It's every fucking Bennett witch that's ever lived all the way down to Sheila, Bonnie's grandmother._

And maybe, I'll find out  
The way to make it back someday  
To watch you, to guide you  
Through the darkest of your days  
If a great wave should fall  
It would fall upon us all  
Well I hope there's someone out there  
Who can bring me back to you

_I must be losing my mind. I shake my head, "I want to see Elena. I have to go to Elena." I push with all my might and find myself standing in my room at the boardinghouse. _

"Leave me alone Jeremy. Just go home."

_My love. She seems so broken, just like me. She lays down on my bed and starts to sob again. I lay down next to her and sob quietly myself. "I'm so sorry Elena. I'm here sweetheart. You're not alone. You'll never be alone." After hours of crying out my name she falls asleep. She's restless, I can tell she's having nightmares but I can't do anything to help her. It's fucking killing me all over again! I get up and sit on the edge of my bed, "God why did I have to be so fucking crazy and impulsive and get myself killed!" _

"_Because you finally found out what it meant to love someone Damon Salvatore." Emily Bennett. Again, seriously?_

"_Well, if you're not going to leave me alone then tell me why the hell you are here Emily." I shake my head and put it in my hands. I refuse to let this bitch of a witch see me cry._

"_To make you an offer Damon. It's an offer most people never get and it's only a one shot offer."_

_An offer? I peak up at her and shit she's fucking serious. "And what is that Emily? If I stay away from all your witches over here you won't pop up anymore?" Please say yes, I really don't want to have witchy karma._

"_A do over. Well 3 actually." I lean back on my hands. Okay I'll hear her out. I motion for her to continue. "You love Elena that much is clear. I told you Damon that one day you'd find your humanity and I promised to let you keep it, I make good on my promises. But for Elena's sake I'm going to offer you a chance to go back to 3 different times, times in Elena's life where you could have done things differently. You can fix things Damon, then I'll give you the one thing you want to give Elena most. A chance to have a family, a human family."_

_My mouth falls open. I must be hearing her wrong. She wants to give me a chance to change 3 different times in Elena's life and then what, make me human? Why the hell would she do that? "I...Emily why...Are you...Seriously?" For the second time in my life, I'm struck speechless._

_She smiles. "Yes Damon. Would you like to know what you have the chance to change before you agree to anything?"_

_She wants to tell me what I can change. I try to think myself before I answer her. What are the 3 times she could be thinking about? I come up blank. "Uh, sure. I'm at a loss of what they could possibly be."_

"_Take my hand Damon. I'll show you the first." She holds her hand out to me._

_I look back towards Elena. Emily said these chances will affect Elena. I know if I take her hand, I'm accepting her offer. Am I willing to do that? I lay down next to her and reach my hand to touch her face. I can feel her. "Baby. I love you. I never wanted this for you, I never wanted to hurt you this much. I love you Elena. I promise no matter what happens I'm going to try to come back to you. I'll never stop trying sweetheart." I let my tears fall again and I pull her close to me. Her arms lock around me, _"Damon. I miss you."_ My heart sinks. I know she's sleeping but the words are enough to make the decision for me. "I miss you too Elena." I kiss her forehead and slide off my bed. _

_I take a deep breath and turn to face Emily. "I'll do it. I love her. I'll do whatever it takes to get back to her." I step forward and take Emily's hand. The rooms blurs around me and I can see everything moving in reverse. We aren't in my room anywhere when the blurring stops, we're on a street. I'm laying on the ground and Emily is standing next to me. I want to ask her why we're here but I'm cut off when I hear Elena's voice._

"I know Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are I just can't bring myself to tell him, at least not tonight. I'll call you later."

_Holy mother of Jesus. It's the night we met. I look around waiting for the next line, it was me who said it. I had thought she was Katherine. I don't hear anything. I look over and she's stopped walking. She has her cell phone out and is sending a text message, this is different. _

"_This is the first thing you can change Damon." Emily finally speaks._

_I'm getting a second chance. I don't have to compel her to forget this time. That's not all I realize I have the power to change. Her parents, can I save them? Can I keep their death from happening? I look at Emily and she nods. I get up and head towards the Elena who just finished her text message, it's now or never._

"Hi. I'm Damon." _She looks at me in surprise, she can hear me. _

"I'm Elena." _Oh my love. _"It's kind of creepy Damon that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." _If only you knew my love._

_We continue our conversation about love and what we both want. This time I'm not going to compel her._

"I want you to get everything you want. But right now Elena, I was wondering if you wanted to go to dinner?" _Please say yes my love, it might save your parents._

"I don't...I don't know. My parents will be here soon to get me."

_Oh no no no! _"I could always give you a ride home. Come on Elena. One dinner. What could it hurt?" _I give her the smile that I know she can't resist. I can hear her parents car almost across the bridge and she pulls out her phone._

"Mom? Yeah I don't need a ride after all...Well a friend of mine offered to take me to dinner and give me a ride home...Okay I'll see you later." _She hangs up. I listen close and I can hear them turn around and get safely off the bridge. I smile inside, I saved them. _

_I see Emily behind Elena and she smiles. She grabs my hand again and I see the time go by as it changes. I drop Elena off at home and she invites me in. Over time we start dating, she meets Stefan but she doesn't fall for him. Her parents don't die. She finds out what I am and she doesn't run away. __Stefan was the one who wanted in the tomb, Anna still came to town, people still died but some things had changed. I see Katherine return to town, this time Stefan embraces her with open arms. _

_The fight over the moonstone still happens. Stefan and I still get shot by Sheriff Forbes. Caroline and Elena still rescue us. Before I know it I see something that my last decision must have changed. It's the night of the sacrifice. The night Elena went with Klaus, the night I got bit by Tyler, but now it's not me heading to rescue Tyler and Caroline, it's Stefan. He gets them out but he manages not to get bit by Tyler. I don't know what Emily thinks I can change, everything on this night happened for a reason._

_That's when I find myself in Elena's house with Jenna. Her parents had gone out for the night and I was keeping an eye on Jenna. Her cell phone starts to ring and it hits me like a ten ton trailer truck. Jenna! I look at Emily and she speaks again, "This moment will count as the 2__nd__ and 3__rd__." I look at her dumbfounded. Okay, yeah last time made more sense I could have saved Elena's parents but I didn't have another vampire to give to Klaus. As if the world is granting me a fucking miracle I hear a jogger run by. I grab Jenna's phone to keep her from answering just yet and burst out the front door. I grab the girl and come back in, I have to find a way for Klaus to take this woman instead. Jenna's phone rings again, _"Damon please give me my phone."_ She snatches it away from me and I can hear Katherine on the other end, pretending to be Elena. Before Jenna can leave the house I push the other woman out the front door._

_I'm met again by blurring changes and I see the sacrifice. Jenna lives, Elena wakes up, Klaus is still a hybrid. Not much changes except Stefan doesn't go with Klaus. The blurring stops and I hear Emily's voice again. "The last decision you made was an important one Damon." I see Klaus get a dagger in his heart by Ric, too bad I couldn't keep him from changing, but that's when things change. Rebekah leaves but Ric doesn't try to kill me, and he doesn't die. Instead, this time we both drive back to Mystic Falls and Elena runs into my arms when I get to her house._

"_She never got in the truck. She never turned. __Jeremy?__" I smile, she stayed human. __Did her brother?_

_I see Emily nod, "Yes. She is human. __Sadly, Tatia still turned Jeremy. There was nothing you could have done to change that. __Now I promised you one more thing Damon. __I will send you back."_

"_How Emily?"_

_I see Stefan walk up and he smiles. "Brother. I made the sacrifice. A life for a life. I saw you die for Elena and that's when I sought out Emily. You and Elena both deserve this Damon. Don't blow it." He hugs me and then Emily starts chanting her spell. We're in the living room of the boardinghouse, no one else is here but the 3 of us. I feel myself changing. Everything goes black and then I open my eyes._

I'm back. I'm in my house and I can breathe. I stand up. I push myself to run and that's when I understand what Stefan meant. I can't run as fast as I used to. I stop and fall to my knees on the stairs. "I'm human?" I shake my head and try my hardest to hear like a vampire. I can't. I stand again and make my way to my room. I'm at the door and I can hear Elena's sobs through the door, I don't need vampire hearing for that. Nervously I open the door, "Elena?"

She jumps when she hears me. "Damon!?"

"Oh Elena!" I run to her and grab her. She's human, I'm human. We're together!

I know now, just quite how  
My life and love might still go on  
In your heart and your mind

I'll stay with you for all of time

* * *

_**This may seem like the happy ever after moment but the story is not over yet. In fact, they still have some major surprises in store for them.  
=)**_


	17. Chapter 17

I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.  
This takes place after they find the cure and do the spell on Elena.  
The main POV's are from Damon, Elena and Stefan. Sometimes you will see it from Jeremy or Caroline.  
Enjoy.  
Feedback is appreciated.

* * *

**Jeremy's POV**

What the hell just happened? One minute I was in the cellar at the boardinghouse looking for the freezer with the blood bags, with high hopes if I could learn to feed this way I wouldn't kill anyone. The next minute I'm waking up in a bedroom with my mom and dad fussing over me. They're dead, but yet I still have memories of them being here the last couple of years. I get up and push past them, they have to be ghosts right? I'm then standing in front of Jenna and Ric, but Ric is a vampire and very much dead. "Elena!" I must be hallucinating right? I run for the living room and that's when I hear it, "Damon?!"

I bolt up the stairs and into Damon's bedroom. "Damon? You...you died. I saw you!" I hear the group from downstairs follow me, I turn to face them, "What the hell just happened?"

"Jeremy. I can explain." I look at Damon and for the first time I notice something about him and Elena. They're human. That's impossible right? They were vampires. I was there when Elena transitioned. I saw Damon be a vampire on multiple occasions. It's like I've entered a parallel universe. I remember one set of memories where I was sure most of the people were dead, but I also remember a different time when they were all very much alive.

"I need a drink." I walk out of the bedroom and quickly run downstairs and pour a big glass of whiskey. Lord only knows I'll need it to hear this story to the end.

**Caroline's POV**

"Klaus!" I bolt up from my couch and run into the kitchen. He's laying on the floor and he looks like he just passed out. "Oh my God! Are you okay?" What just happened? We were going to try and get some sleep after the night we just had, he went to go get me some warm milk to try and calm my nerves and then blackness. I pass out on the couch.

"I'm fine Caroline. I think we should go to the boardinghouse now." He shakes his head as he stands up.

The boardinghouse? Why would he want to go there? I don't have time to question him because he grabs me and leads me to his car. I swear he drives like a lunatic. There is no one else on the roads but he still goes 85 the whole way there. After 3 minutes I finally find my voice.

"Klaus, what happened? I know you have an idea so tell me. Why are we going to the boardinghouse?"

"I think Damon must have some Bennett witches who are watching his back." I see him look over at me and I know he's seeing the confusion on my face. "I don't think Damon Salvatore is dead. I don't think Elena Gilbert is a vampire and I don't think her parents, aunt, and Ric are dead. I think someone got a do over Caroline."

A do over? Damon's not dead? Elena's not a vampire? Did he see the same images I saw? We pull up to the boardinghouse and I'm immediately through the door. I stop when I see the living room. Elena, Damon, Jeremy, Ric, Jenna, Miranda and Greyson, they're all there. They're all human except for Jeremy.

"What just happened?"

It's Damon that answers me. He points towards the loveseat, "Caroline. I can explain."

I shake my head, "I need a drink." I pour myself a glass of bourbon and sit down. Klaus is instantly beside me and Damon starts his story.

_**-5 MONTHS LATER-**_

**Damon's POV**

Well it's been 5 months since I had come back and I haven't wasted a single day. To say that everyone had been surprised would be putting it mildly. Jeremy and Caroline had woken up everyday for a month asking me at least 10 times a day if I was real. Elena had moved in within 2 months and we became the couple I'd always dreamed we be. She was ecstatic to have her family back and they had welcomed me with open arms. I missed Stefan and I visited him everyday. The day after I'd come back I'd found the note tucked in the journal I'd always denied I'd kept.

_Damon-  
If you're reading this then I had to go with the contingency plan. I'm sorry I didn't get to tell you about Asher, or well dad earlier but I had to act fast. Enjoy your humanity brother, you deserve it. Take care of Elena, because if you don't I swear I will haunt you from the other side. I've left you my daylight ring in my dresser drawer, keep it safe. I will miss you Damon. You're a good brother, so I know that Jeremy will have someone great to look up to.  
Tell Elena that I love her. No, I don't mean romantically so get that scowl off your face brother. She's like my sister. Tell her I'm sorry that I didn't believe her and I'm sorry that I'm not there for her now.  
Tell Ric, because I know if you're human you did the do over and he's alive, that he better keep an eye on you. He's a good friend to you Damon, and he knows you better than you think.  
I think that's all.  
I love you._

Stefan

PS. If you ever start cursing in Italian and Elena needs a translator, tell her there is a book in her bedside table. Italian for dummies. :)

Elena had found the book and I had started to teach her to speak Italian. Her first sentence was one of my favorite to hear her say, "I love you. Shall we go to bed?" I always kept Stefan's letter with me and I tried to be the best brother figure for Jeremy. I helped him through his transition, even though I wasn't a vampire he still knew I had more years on him and he trusted me. Ric and I had instantly renewed our friendship and I have to say I missed him a lot. Actually, I was on my way home now from meeting with Greyson, Ric and Jeremy. Since they were now the 3 men in Elena's life I had asked each one for permission to ask Elena to marry me. Their answers had been the same, more or less.

"I'd be honored to have a Salvatore in the family." That had been her father's answer.

"Deja vu much? We already had this talk." Jeremy had grown in his humor since becoming a vampire.

"I guess you wouldn't be the worst husband. I mean you did die and come back for her." Ric. Always the voice of...well he was just Ric.

I had this all planned out. Elena wouldn't be home for at 3 hours, Caroline is still an expert at distracting her. I picked up all the roses and candles and started decorating the living room. I knew she was all about the romance and I knew she'd love this. I placed candles throughout the whole living room and moved the furniture out of the way. I set up a picnic for two in front of the fire, complete with blanket and pillows in case we don't make it upstairs for the...after plans.

Elena arrived home and was pleasantly shocked by sudden romantic whim. Right after she sat down on the blanket I couldn't help myself anymore.

"Elena, I love you. Please marry me?" I blurted it out and hoped she would say yes. She blinked a few times and started crying. Shit. "Okay it's too soon. I get it. I'm sorry. Let's just eat." I continued on with talking, I was afraid if I was silent she'd run for the door. "How was your day? Have fun with Caroline?"

"Damon. Shut up." I raise my eyebrows. "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you Damon!" She throws herself at me and thank God I had a pillow behind me because we now were off the blanket. The moment we finished our long passionate kiss I took my mothers ring out of my pocket and slipped it on her finger. It was a perfect fit.

We started eating and after about 5 minutes the candles all went out. I heard Elena gasp, I quickly turned on the light and she was gone.

"Elena?...Elena!" I searched the whole house. Where could she have gone seriously? I sit down and think very hard. I gave her the ring, the candles went out, there was no wind or air conditioner, so how and why had they gone out? She gasped and she was gone. I pulled out my cell phone and scrolled down until I reached the number I needed.

"Bonnie? I need you to come over. Elena's gone. I need your help, specifically."

"**Damon what do you mean? I'm sure Elena will be back soon."**

"I don't think so Bonnie. I think she went somewhere that I can't. Look it's a long story but I need you here now. I need a witch and you are the only one I know."

"**Okay. I'll be over in a few minutes."**

I hang up the phone and lay down on the couch. I really hope I'm wrong about my suspicions but I don't think I am. My mom had a lot of friends back in the day and who knows what kind of witchy juju would have been placed on that ring. It had to be the ring. I heard the doorbell and it snapped me out of my thoughts, thank you Bonnie.

I tell her what happened and she looks at me with a stunned and knowing expression on her face.

"Damon. Please tell me it's not THIS ring!"

She opens one of the many grimoires she had collected from Jonas and Luka and I was shocked to say the least. It was my mothers ring. Not good, very much not good. I just nod my head. What the hell does all this say? Too bad I can't read Latin. Where is Stefan when I need him?! I was smacked in the back of the head and Bonnie leaped up and started pacing.

"Bonnie! What does all that say? Why the hell is my mothers wedding ring in a damn grimoire!"

She stops and looks at me. "Because it had a spell on it. Damon...Elena is...Ugh!" She sits down and grabs a candle. "Maybe Emily can help her. I need to contact her. If she finds Elena then maybe she can help her until we can find a way to get her back."

"Bonnie this is making no sense. How can Emily help? Where is Elena? What did that ring do Bonnie?"

She looks up from the candle, "Elena is in the 1800's. If I had to venture a year I'd guess around 1864."

My heart sinks. Elena is...in 1864, give or take a few years maybe. Shit!

**Elena's POV**

Damon had to be planning something. Caroline never was this good at distracting me. When she dropped me off Damon had set up a romantic dinner for two. I had barely sat down when he burst the question out at me.

"Elena, I love you. Please marry me?"

I was shocked. Yes, we had talked about getting married one day, having kids, but I didn't think it'd be now. I wanted it to be now, but I didn't want to rush him. He needed time to adjust to being human, I mean he'd lived so long as a vampire it had to be hard to get used to right? I hadn't realized I hadn't answered him yet. He was rambling on and on. Was Damon Salvatore actually nervous? I had to hide a laugh. I'd learned so much more about him now that he was human. He loved to wear muscle shirts and shorts, I had no objections there. He loved to go to the beach and yes a few times I'd seen him wear flip flops. He liked to sing but only in front of me, it's kind of sweet really.

"Damon. Shut up." I had to tell him my answer. I was rewarded when he looked at me, I knew it! He was nervous! "Yes. Yes, I'll marry you Damon!" I fling myself in his arms and we land on...pillows. I raise my eyebrows and his mouth is instantly on mine. Our tongues invade each others mouths and it's so passionate. We get swept up in the moment and I can feel his hands start to slide up my shirt. Hold on buddy, we need to eat first, unlike vampires we need sustenance to do...that.

I reluctantly pull myself away and he pulls out the ring. It's just a simple gold band, I love it. I swear to God I would have freaked out if it had been some big diamond. We start eating and then the candles all go out. Strange there's no wind. I feel the pull come from the ring, or rather I feel the ring pulling me somewhere. I try to call out for Damon but I don't know if he can hear me.

I can't see anything. I don't know how long it is until I finally open my eyes. It's daylight. I could have sworn it was night time when we had started dinner.

"Elena? Sister? Don't leave me in suspense!"

Sister? I turn to look at the girl next to me, she looks like me kind of but younger by maybe by 3 or 4 years. I look around and we're in a garden, it's beautiful. I glance down and see my dress. It's just like the one I wore in the Miss Mystic parade. Oh no!

"Elena? You just spent the whole morning with Mr. Salvatore and now you won't even tell me if he asked to court you?"

I...what?! "Mr. Salvatore?"

She rolls her eyes, "Yes sister. Mr. Damon Salvatore. You've spent everyday together. Surely he has asked you."

"I'm sorry. I feel...tired."

I get up and go into the house, I hope it's mine. I let my feet guide me, they seem to know where to go. I enter a room on the third floor and I sit at the desk. I look through the drawers and find a journal. I open it to the last entry and look at the date.

3rd May, 1862.

Oh no no no!

* * *

_**Well, that's the end of this story!  
In the next story, Damon and Elena will soon find out a lot of things about each other. There was always a reason why Damon told Elena "you should have met me in 1864." Maybe this journey will turn out to be a good thing? Maybe Damon will find a way to bring Elena back, or maybe Elena won't want to come back. **_

_**Stay tuned and leave feedback.  
First chapter of new story to be posted soon.  
:)**_


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